EU’s Nord Stream expectations revealed - WSJ

The European Union doesn’t expect Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline to resume pumping gas to Germany when scheduled maintenance ends this week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing a top European Commission official.

“We’re working on the assumption that it doesn’t return to operation,” Commissioner Johannes Hahn told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Singapore, according to the WSJ.

Nord Stream, a key pipeline carrying Russian natural gas to Germany for distribution to other EU countries, closed for annual maintenance last week. Work is expected to end on Thursday but many in Europe fear that Moscow may not turn the taps back on, triggering severe energy shortages across the region. Last month, Gazprom reduced the flow by 60% citing technical issues arising from international sanctions.

Europe is currently preparing for the upcoming winter, and EU officials have warned that if gas deliveries do not resume in significant quantities, households on the continent won’t be able to heat their homes, and factories may have to reduce output or close altogether.

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