Mikhail Zhuravlyov: both Nord Streams will not return the European market to Gazprom

Yekaterina Maksimova

"Russia has no choice: the North European gas market is lost. The launch of Nord Stream-2 will bring super-profits to Gazprom for two or three years, but will allow the EU economy to overcome the transition period painlessly," Mikhail Zhuravlyov believes (cited by Infotek).

But as soon as the Europeans resolve issues with LNG supplies, Nord Stream 2 will still be stopped. "Do we need a political victory today to save the EU in the near future?", - the expert asks.

Zhuravlev recalls that the recent shutdown of Nord Stream 1, through which Gazprom could annually pump 55 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe, will accelerate the growth of electricity prices in Europe, inflation and contribute to the closure of key industries in the eurozone.

"Very soon, European politicians will have to choose: a political loss for the sake of saving the economy and the launch of Nord Stream 2, or "democratic principles" at the cost of a long-term recession", - Zhuravlyov believes.

In conditions when PJSC Gazprom, referring to the technical documentation, completely stopped gas supplies via Nord Stream 1, it would be reasonable for Europeans to launch Nord Stream 2. The gas pipeline is in working condition and can start pumping at any time. This was officially stated by the head of Gazprom Alexey Miller.

But immediately after the start of the NWO, the German government refused to certify the second "thread". And in August, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz officially assured the public that Nord Stream 2 would not be put into operation. Even despite the upcoming energy catastrophe, which Europe is predicting this winter.

Aleksey Belogoriev, Deputy Director for Energy at the Institute of Energy and Finance, stated in an interview with Novye Izvestiya that if the EU really and consistently achieves a reduction in gas supplies from Russia, it can replace it, then Nord Stream 2, in the construction of which about 10 billion dollars, in the future, the Europeans will simply not need it. “But in this case, obviously, Nord Stream 1 will not be needed either. These assets will become scrap metal at the bottom of the sea”, - Alexey Belogoryev believes.

Deputy Director General of the National Energy Institute Alexander Frolov, also doubted that the Europeans would agree to launch a second gas pipeline, but nevertheless did not rule out such a possibility. "About Scholz's statements ... You never know what this person is trying to tell, please excuse me. On the one hand, Scholz is chancellor today, not tomorrow. On the other hand, if Nord Stream 2 is launched, then Europe will solve all its current problems with gas Russia, as a supplier of blue fuel, in the long term, is an uncontested partner for Europe," Alexander Frolov shared his opinion with NI.

In the meantime, both "northern streams" are idle, European countries are breaking records in terms of the cost of electricity. For example, the price of futures with delivery a year ahead in France and Germany exceeded one thousand euros per 1 MWh. This is 10 times higher than the level of the previous year.

Recall that against the backdrop of statements by European politicians about the lack of demand for Nord Stream 2, PJSC Gazprom completely stopped deliveries via Nord Stream 1 from the end of August. The giant explained the stop by the need for maintenance of the only working Trent 60 unit at the Portovaya station. Gas supplies were supposed to resume three days after the inspection - on August 2. But exactly on that day, representatives of Gazprom PJSC officially announced that an oil leak was detected during routine maintenance at the Trent 60 gas compressor unit (GPA No. 24) of the Portovaya compressor station, carried out jointly with representatives of Siemens. By decision of the Rostekhnadzor of Russia, the gas company completely stopped pumping gas to Europe.