The German Federal Network Agency is currently unable to certify the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. This was reported to Izvestiya on Tuesday, February 22, in the press service of the German regulator.
“Certification of Nord Stream 2 requires a positive assessment from the Federal Ministry of Economics that the security of supply is not at risk. Now it is not provided. The Federal Grid Agency is currently unable to certify the project. Operation of the pipeline without certification will be illegal,” the source said.
In turn, the press service of the operator of the NSP-2 Nord Stream 2 AG told Izvestia that they had taken note of the message about the suspension of the certification of the gas pipeline.
“We are unable to comment on these reports and await appropriate information from regulatory authorities,” the company said.
Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that the country’s Ministry of Economy had been instructed to halt the certification of SP-2 amid Russia’s recognition of the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR). He noted that the reaction to Moscow’s actions would be united.
At the same time, Igor Ananskikh, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Energy, pointed out that these were hasty steps, and only one country, the United States, benefited from stopping the certification and launching of the gas pipeline, since the States had seriously increased supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the EU over the past year and want to continue increasing their volumes.
The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the LPR and DPR, as well as agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance, together with the heads of the republics Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin. According to the signed documents, the Russian Foreign Ministry should establish diplomatic relations, and the Defense Ministry should ensure the maintenance of peace in the republics.
Since 2014, the Ukrainian authorities have been conducting a military operation against the inhabitants of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the intra-Ukrainian conflict.
The construction of SP-2 was completed on 10 September. It was built from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea for the purpose of direct gas supplies to Europe. Certification of Nord Stream 2 by the German regulator can legally take four months. At the end of the procedure, the document must be sent to the European Commission, which has two more months to consider, but it can ask for an extension for another two months.
In November last year, the German regulator suspended the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG as an independent gas pipeline operator and indicated the need to establish a subsidiary in Germany. On January 26, 2022, Nord Stream 2 AG registered such a “daughter” – Gas for Europe GMBH. It was expected that the certification procedure would last about four months, then the decision of the regulator was to be considered by the European Commission.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
