Germany urged to repair the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline

The Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, damaged as a result of sabotage, needs to be repaired, as Germany will need cheaper gas after the end of the conflict in Ukraine, Michael Kretschmer, the Prime Minister of Saxony, deputy chairman of the Christian Democratic Union, said in an interview with Funke.

According to him, the issue of Russian gas is not on the table while hostilities are going on, but now care must be taken to secure the Nord Stream infrastructure from further destruction.

“The operator must ensure [условия]so that the pipeline can be repaired. Time runs. If the damage is not repaired, Nord Stream will become unusable for a long time,” said Kretschmer (TASS quote).

The politician said that it is necessary to have an option to receive not only expensive liquefied gas in the future. “It will be necessary to assess in which country you can buy cheaper alternatives, this is in our national interest,” Kretschmer said.

On the night of September 26, pressure dropped on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, and later two leaks were discovered that were located in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Sweden, and two more – in the Danish EEZ. In November, Nord Stream began an independent survey of damage to Nord Stream in Swedish and Danish waters.

The Kremlin admitted that it could be a “terrorist attack at the state level.” On September 30, during his speech in the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of sabotage on the Nord Stream highways and the destruction of the European energy structure.

On December 25, in an interview with TASS, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak said that the technical capabilities for the repair of Nord Stream exist, but this will require money and time. He clarified that the Russian side has not yet been allowed access to the information obtained during the investigation. Interlocutor of The Sun toldthat, according to one estimate, the cost of repairing gas pipelines could be at least $500 million.

At the end of October last year, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that the country had freed itself from dependence on Russian gas. German Vice Chancellor Robert Habek noted that Germany plans to become independent of Russian energy sources by 2024. According to him, Germany is getting rid of dependence on Russian energy carriers with “lightning speed”.