Russian state energy giant Gazprom has announced that it will suspend natural gas supplies through Nord Stream 1 for three days at the end of this month for maintenance work.
The move renewed energy supply concerns in Europe, which seeks to increase stocks ahead of the winter season.
According to a Gazprom statement, the only remaining gas compressor unit of the pipeline Trent 60 DLE will shut down on 31 August to undergo a three-day serving and preventive maintenance.
The company will perform the maintenance work jointly with Siemens. The statement noted that the unit must undergo technical maintenance every 1,000 hours, according to the specifications provided by Siemens.
Due to the maintenance work, supplies through Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline will remain suspended from 31 August to 2 September 2022.
The supplies will resume thereafter at the rate of 33 million cubic metres per day, provided no malfunctions are identified during the inspections.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline runs underneath the Baltic Sea to transport gas to Germany, which largely depends on Russian supplies to meet its energy requirements.
The pipeline is currently supplying at a fifth of its capacity amid ongoing tensions between the European Union and Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February, reported Reuters.
A spokesperson for Germany’s economy ministry was quoted by the news agency as saying: “We are monitoring the situation closely with the Federal Network Agency.”
Last month, Nord Stream curtailed supplies for ten days to complete planned maintenance works on its twin gas pipelines.
Earlier this year, Gazprom suspended gas supplies to Nato member countries Poland and Bulgaria for refusing to pay in Russian rubles.
