"Nord Stream" temporarily suspended flow of Europe's response

The trachea is temporarily severed

According to the plan, "Nord Stream -1" suspended gas transmission at 6:00 Berlin time on the 11th (Beijing time 12:00), scheduled to resume operation in the early morning of the 21st, during which the pipeline power supply system, fire and leak prevention system and some valves will be repaired, and related software will be upgraded.

Dpa reported that in the past, similar repairs took 10 to 14 days and were not always completed within the set deadline.

In the case of multiple rounds of sanctions imposed on Russia by Europe and the United States and no signs of easing sanctions, European countries are worried that Russia will extend the maintenance period of "Nord Stream -1" or even completely cut off this important "gas pipe", and Europe will be more faced with energy supply shortage and high prices.

According to the Federal Network Agency, Germany's electrical network regulator, Nord Stream 1 is currently pumping only 40% of its designed capacity and will be reduced to zero during the overhaul.

The Russian side said the cut was due to the Canadian government's failure to return Nord Stream 1 pipeline components sent for repair by Germany's Siemens. The Canadian side previously cited sanctions against Russia to seize the relevant equipment, the 9th announced that it will return, but on the same day announced that it will expand industrial sanctions against Russia.

The European Union has decided to gradually wean itself off Russian energy dependence and will stop importing Russian oil by the end of the year. However, it is difficult for Europe to find substitutes for Russian natural gas, and once the Russian natural gas suddenly "cut off", Europe's energy will be stretched.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 18, 2015. The European Commission has unveiled a €300 billion investment plan to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels and speed up the transition to clean energy over the next few years. Photo by Zheng Huansong, Xinhua News Agency

Each search game

According to the severity of the potential gas supply crisis, the EU has set a three-level mechanism of "early warning", "alarm" and "emergency state". If this constitutes a "state of emergency", the government may adopt measures such as quotas or price caps to ensure basic supply in the market.

The EU has asked member states, especially those heavily dependent on Russian gas, to develop measures to deal with gas shortages as needed.

Austria, which relies on Russia for 80 per cent of its gas needs, has activated an "early warning" mechanism to replace gas with other fuels whenever possible to keep plants running.

Photo taken on April 27, 2019 shows a gas station in Warsaw, capital of Poland. Russia's Gazprom issued a statement on the 27th, announcing that from the same day to suspend the supply of natural gas to Bulgaria and Poland. Photo by Zhou Nan/Xinhua News Agency

Bulgaria, which relies on Russia for more than 90 percent of its gas needs, has agreed to buy liquefied natural gas from the United States and is stepping up talks with Azerbaijan to increase supplies.

The Czech government has approved a plan to tackle the heating crisis by allowing coal plants that were due to close next year because of excessive emissions to continue operating.

Italy, which relies on Russia for 40 percent of its gas, has signed contracts with Azerbaijan, Qatar, Algeria and other countries to buy two sets of liquefied natural gas storage and regasification units, and plans to "maximize" coal plants to save gas when necessary.

The Netherlands has also temporarily lifted production limits on coal plants.

Greece has increased imports of liquefied natural gas and converted four gas-fired power plants to diesel. In addition, as a temporary measure, Greece plans to accelerate coal mining in the next year or so.

Denmark is calling on consumers and businesses to use less energy.

Finland and the Baltic states have postponed repairs to their main gas pipelines to ensure supplies.

France is drawing up contingency plans. Three of France's biggest energy companies have signed an open letter urging citizens to use less energy, despite imports of Russian gas accounting for only 17% of the country's total consumption.

Germany, which relies on Russia for 55 per cent of its gas needs, has declared an "alert" phase, with 15 billion euros in government loans to replenish reserves and a gas auction this summer to encourage industrial users to economise.