Russia decided Friday to halt the reopening of the Nord Stream 1 Pipeline, citing mechanical problems.
Gas deliveries to Germany and other European nations were set to resume Saturday at 1 a.m. GMT after a three-day halt due to maintenance, but that will no longer be happening, according to Reuters. Russia’s Gazprom PJSC, the company in control of the pipeline, said they discovered a technical issue during the course of upkeep.
The company identified an oil leak at a gas turbine that helps pump gas into the link, Bloomberg reported. They will now have to fix the problem, pushing back the reopening of the pipeline to an unknown time in the future, the outlet continued.
Russian Oil Chief Dies. Company Says ‘Severe Illness’ To Blame, Other Reports Say He Fell Out 6th-Floor Window https://t.co/ojshg80EK3
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 2, 2022
The pipeline opened in 2011 and can send up to 170 million cubic meters of gas from Russia to Germany on a daily basis, the BBC noted. It has been operating at 20% capacity throughout much of July and August because of what Russia claimed to be faulty equipment at the site. (RELATED: What’s Going On With Vladimir Putin’s Weird Behavior?)
Europe is already facing a staggering energy crisis, forcing many families to choose between eating and heating their homes. Bloomberg noted that should the shutdown persist, it would place increasing stressors on Europe’s households, factories and economies, while weakening their ability to support Ukraine in the country’s war with Russia.