Topline
Leaks have been discovered in both the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines that were built to supply Russian natural gas to northwestern Europe, according to multiple reports, but a cause of the problems has not been determined.
A man wearing a hard hat stands at the central facility where the Nord Stream Baltic Sea gas … [+]
Key Facts
Sweden reported Tuesday that two leaks were found in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which came just hours after Denmark announced there was a leak on Nord Stream 2.
All the leaks appeared near the island of Bornholm, a Danish territory in the Baltic Sea.
Ships have been urged to avoid a five nautical mile radius around the and low-flying aircraft have been urged to keep an altitude of at least 1,000 meters.
Neither pipeline is in operation but both contain natural gas, according to Danish energy minister Dan Jorgensen.
Key Background
The pipelines have been among the most high-profile casualties of the ongoing economic conflict between Russia and the Western world in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia cut its supplies to Nord Stream 1 this month, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical problems, though the move comes as Russia ramps up a pressure campaign to limit its abundant energy supplies to the rest of Europe ahead of the winter chill, prompting a surge in fuel prices and raising concerns about the potential need for power outages to conserve energy. Russia was responsible for supplying about 40% of Europe’s gas before the war. Nord Stream 2, meanwhile, was completed last year but never entered service after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dropped its certification just two days before the war in Ukraine began in one of the first sanctions against Russia. Germany last week moved to nationalize its largest gas company due to energy concerns, after France made a similar decision.
What We Don’t Know
It’s not clear what the extent of the damage is to the pipelines and what that could mean for any reopening efforts in the future.
Further Reading
Mystery gas leaks hit major Russian undersea gas pipelines to Europe (Reuters)
Sweden and Denmark probe leaks in Nord Stream gas pipelines (Financial Times)
Germany Stops Approval Of $11 Billion Nord Stream 2 Pipeline With Russia (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/09/27/unexplained-leaked-hit-russias-shuttered-gas-pipelines-to-europe/