Germany’s Economy Minister has urged citizens to reduce their energy consumption, as Russian energy firm, Gazprom began reducing the volume of gas it pumps to Europe’s biggest economy.
Gazprom said that supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would go down to a daily maximum of 67 million cubic metres.
It was down from 167 million cubic metres earlier in the week, citing necessary repairs.
The cuts represented an approximately 60 per cent reduction in gas supplies to Germany through the pipeline within just two days.
It came as European countries tried to wean themselves off their dependence on Russian fossil fuels in light of the war in Ukraine, with limited success.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a video posted on Twitter that “now is the time’’ to save on energy usage.
“Every kilowatt hour helps in this situation,’’ he said.
Although supplies to Germany were secured with the contribution of other, albeit more expensive, sources, we must be vigilant, he said.
“Above all we must not let ourselves be divided, as this is what Russia President Vladimir Putin intends.’’
Siemens Energy announced on Tuesday that one of the Nord Stream 1 gas turbines that had recently undergone repairs in Canada could not currently be shipped back from Montreal due to sanctions on Russia.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline is Germany’s main pipeline for the delivery of Russian gas.
Gazprom, which was majority owned by the Russian state, cited the delays caused by the repair of the gas compressor unit as the reason for the reduced gas delivery volumes, though Germany’s Federal Network Agency disputed the claim.
Habeck pointed out that German gas storage facilities were around 56 per cent full.
Russia had cut off the flow of gas to several European countries in recent weeks amid disputes over sanctions imposed on it for its invasion of Ukraine.
Subsequently, European refusals to pay for gas in roubles, something Russia has demanded in an attempt to prop up its currency.
Energy prices had risen significantly due to the decreased in gas flow from Russia to Europe.
This had led to many energy analysts fearing that Russia was set to turn off the taps to Europe altogether as a pressure tactic.