Nord Stream 1 closes for announced maintenance
Russia's Nord Stream 1 pipeline closed early on August 31 for three days of maintenance, as announced by Gazprom earlier this month.
Gazprom said it would be undertaking preventive maintenance at the only compressor station still working at the Portovaya station on the Baltic shore that handles Nord Stream 1's gas. The company cut gas flow to 40% of the pipeline's 55bn m3/year capacity in June, and to 20% in July, blaming sanctions that have complicated the maintenance and repair of equipment.
European gas prices eased back on August 29 from record highs last week, on news that Germany has been making better progress than expected in stocking up on gas ahead of winter. Germany has been hardest hit by drops in Nord Stream 1's gas flow. But the country has already filled its storage facilities to 83.3% of capacity, putting it in reach of its 85% target for October 1.
The German government has warned, however, that reaching its 95% target for November 1 will be hard unless companies and households curb consumption.
The EU as a whole has now filled its storage facilities to 80% of capacity, fulfilling a goal it set earlier this year more than two months ahead of schedule. This 891 TWh of gas in storage is roughly equivalent to a fifth of the bloc's annual gas consumption.