EU considers pipeline sabotage likely | Economy | DW

EU Josep Borrell

The leaks on the Baltic Sea pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 from Russia to Germany are apparently due to sabotage. “All available information indicates that these leaks are the result of a deliberate act,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on behalf of the 27 member states. Any intentional disruption to Europe’s energy infrastructure will “be met with a robust and common response.” In the statement, Borrell gave no suspicion as to who could be behind a possible act of sabotage.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had previously written on Twitter that she thought sabotage was possible. She warned that any intentional disruption of Europe’s active energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will prompt the strongest possible response. EU Council President Charles Michel also spoke of an act of sabotage.

“The Next Level of Escalation”

“A coincidence is hard to imagine,” Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had previously said. The authorities had come to the clear assessment that the acts were intentional and not an accident. Several explosions were observed within a short period of time. There is still no information about who is behind it, Frederiksen told reporters in Copenhagen.

The prime minister had previously visited Poland, where another pipeline was inaugurated in Goleniow near the port city of Szczecin, leading from Norway via Denmark to the Eastern European EU country. There, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the leaks were “probably the next level of escalation we’re dealing with in Ukraine.”

The German Economics Minister Robert Habeck also spoke of targeted attacks. It is now known for certain that the leaks “were not caused by natural occurrences or events or material fatigue, but that there really were attacks on the infrastructure,” said the Green politician to representatives of leading business associations.

Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podoliak wrote on Twitter: “The large-scale ‘gas leak’ at Nord Stream 1 is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU.” Podoljak did not name any evidence for this. Moscow has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine since February.

“NATO is monitoring the situation closely”

The Western military alliance is involved in assessing the situation. “NATO is closely monitoring the situation in the Baltic Sea,” said a representative of the North Atlantic Alliance. The alliance partners are in close contact with the countries bordering the Baltic Sea, Finland and Sweden, which have applied for membership but are not yet members of NATO.

Infographic Gas Pipelines from Russia to Europe MANGA

Gas is currently leaking uncontrolled from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines from Russia to Germany at three points near the island of Bornholm. The Danish Navy released images showing large-scale formation of bubbles on the sea surface. At one point, the bubbles could be observed in a circular area a good kilometer in diameter, the military said.

As the Danish energy authority previously announced, two of the leaks on Nord Stream 1 are northeast of Bornholm – one of them in Swedish waters – and one leak on Nord Stream 2 is southeast of the island. Denmark increased the security level to monitor its energy infrastructure as a result of the leaks. A shipping zone has also been set up.

Scientist: “There were explosions”

Several geological research centers reported tremors measured in the affected area on Monday. An employee of the National Seismological Center in Sweden (SNSN) told broadcaster SVT that there was no doubt that there were explosions there. According to its own statements, the German Geo Research Center in Potsdam also registered vibrations in the area.

Moscow is “concerned”

The government in Moscow was “extremely concerned” about the leaks. “This is an unprecedented situation that needs urgent investigation,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. When asked whether it could be an act of sabotage, he replied that “no” option could be ruled out.

According to energy expert Nicolas Goldberg of the consulting firm Colombus, an underwater gas leak is not easy to fix, especially if salt water got into the pipe. For technical reasons, both lines are filled with gas, although they are not in operation. The supply situation is therefore not affected, as confirmed by the Federal Network Agency.

environment probably not endangered

From the point of view of the German Environmental Aid (DUH), there is also no threat of environmental hazards due to the leak near Bornholm, at least in the short term. The organization explained that natural gas corresponds to the greenhouse gas methane, which is partially soluble in water and is non-toxic. Even in the event of an explosion under water, there would only be local effects, a spokesman said. Methane is particularly harmful to the climate.

Germany Lubmin |  Start of maintenance work on Nord Stream 1

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, through which Russian natural gas flowed to Germany from 2011 until recently, ends in Lubmin.

Despite considerable criticism, especially from eastern EU countries and the USA, Nord Stream 2 was laid parallel to the Nord Stream 1 pipeline through the Baltic Sea and was intended to significantly increase the flow of gas from Russia to Germany. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the federal government decided not to put the pipeline into operation.

No gas has arrived in Germany from Nord Stream 1 for weeks. Russia referred to technical problems. The federal government accused Moscow of using gas as a means of exerting pressure on foreign policy.

The Baltic Pipe, which has now officially opened in Poland, is a roughly 900-kilometer branch from the existing Europipe II route, which runs from Norway through the North Sea to Lower Saxony. In the future, Norwegian natural gas can also be transported eastwards through the Baltic Pipe. The line connects to the existing pipeline west of Denmark in the North Sea, then leads to the Danish mainland and on through the Baltic Sea to Poland. Gas is scheduled to flow through the pipeline from October. As recently as Friday, the Norwegian energy supplier Equinor and the Polish group PGNiG signed a contract for the annual supply of 2.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

sti/jj//iw/hb/ehl (afp, dpa, rtr)


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