Europe Mothballs Gazprom Plans to Fill OPAL Spare Capacity

The European Commission along with German regulator BNetzA have agreed to postpone the deadline for a decision on the OPAL gas pipeline. The project could grant more commercial opportunities for Russian gas. It would indeed connect the offshore section of Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline to the Czech Republic through Germany.  

Despite having a capacity of 55 billion cubic metres a year, the Nord Stream has been pumped with around half of it. In February, Gazprom’s Alexey Miller expressed his intention to beef up the pipeline, adding new strings. Similarly, the OPAL pipeline is underused. 

The project would allow Europe to diversify routes, but it would give Moscow an additional edge. Doubts remain, as the project could collide with the principles of the Third Energy Package. On the other hand, it would easily increase the security of gas supply to Central Europe, especially in case of cut-off in relation to a likely escalation in Eastern Ukraine. Gazprom is the only interested in pumping gas and taking the spare capacity. 

Opal has a capacity of 36 bcd. According to Reuters, it has been operating at half that in the past three years.