The shutoff of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline for 10 days of maintenance today has thrown the German political, business and media world into fibrillations. Gas reservoirs are low, about 60% full. If Russia decides not to reactivate Nord Stream 1 after the 10-day maintenance period, it will be impossible to fill reserves to the planned 80% in October and 90% in November.
On one side, Green fanatics such as Federal Grid Agency head Klaus Müller, insist, with psywar-like statements, on “saving energy” and rationing. On the other side, Siemens has announced that they will refit the pipeline with the turbines, whose return Canada has now unblocked, as fast as possible. That would solve the technical problem adduced by Gazprom for the original reduction of gas flows by 60%, but it is also a political signal. The turbines were blocked by sanctions, which now de facto are ad hoc lifted.
And although Müller, Habeck et al. insist that the three nuclear plants still active will be shut down at year-end as planned, a public debate on the issue has been demanded, for instance on ARD first channel TV. The Tüv-Sud certification agency declared that the three plants, plus the three that were deactivated last year, could be reactivated, even at high cost, because their operating licenses have not expired.
