Austria has not been spared the reduced gas supply from Russia via the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea for several days now. The oil and gas group OMV reported a decline in deliveries on Thursday – krone.at reported. However, customer supplies are not at risk, it was emphasized. The Ministry of Climate is now also speaking: you see no signs of a delivery stop, but you “observate the situation”.
A spokesman for the oil and gas group OMV said the Russian supplier had informed Gazprom about a cut. “We will replace these quantities with storage quantities and quantities from the spot market, if necessary because of the lower gas demand. Supply to our customers is currently guaranteed.” The spokesperson would not say how much less was delivered.
“Alarm bells should start ringing”
Given the situation, Upper Austria and the SPÖ have called on the government to quickly provide information on how to ensure domestic gas supplies in the event of an emergency. “Upper Austria’s strong industrial location requires a rapid clarification of the federal government’s planned further procedure to directly ensure gas supply for businesses and households,” said Upper Austrian Governor Thomas Stelzer. The subject should now be the focus. The question joined SPÖ federal manager Christian Deutsch. “The alarm bells should start ringing at the Minister of Energy.”
All the climate ministry said on Thursday was: “We are monitoring the situation and are in close contact with OMV.” At the moment there are no signs of a supply freeze. “But we are prepared for all scenarios.”
Russians speak of repair work
Gazprom had already cut gas supplies through Nord Stream for two days this week, citing delays in repairing gas compressors. The German Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck, on the other hand, sees a political motivation. Clearly the strategy is to distort and drive up prices. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected this. Rather, the problems had to do with the sanctions the West had imposed on Russia, he said.
Gazprom boss Alexei Miller also said key spare parts for the repair of the gas compressors were missing, which Canada was unable to supply due to existing sanctions against Russia. The gas giant currently sees no solution to the supply disruptions.
Germany, Czech Republic, France and Italy affected
In addition to Austria and Germany, France, Italy and the Czech Republic are also affected by the lower delivery volumes. The Italian energy group Eni announced on Thursday that only 65 percent of the requested quantity had been delivered. The French Engie also reported a drop in deliveries. A spokesman for Czech utility CEZ also said there were restrictions due to technical issues.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
