The Russian state energy giant Gazprom has suspended all gas supply to Germany through its Nord Stream 1 pipeline, citing maintenance reasons and raising fear that speculators could take advantage and increase prices again.
“Supplies via Nord Stream completely stopped as preventative work begins today at a gas compressor unit,” Gazprom said in a brief statement. Entsog, operator of the pipeline, announced that gas deliveries had been halted shortly before 6am.
Gazprom claimed that the three-day works at a compressor station had to be carried out after every 1,000 hours of operation.
Klaus Müller, head of the German energy regulator, said that the shutdown was probably a pretence for Moscow to threaten an already overheated energy market.
Gas and power prices in Britain had dropped
