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Emergency launch of Nord Stream 2 would allow EU to keep gas supplies from Russia — expert

If supplies through Ukraine are stopped and Yamal-Europe is not used, the volume of Russian gas supplies to the EU will be reduced by 40% even with the full use of Nord Stream 1 and TurkStream, Kirill Melnikov noted

MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. If the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine is interrupted, and the supply route through Poland via the Yamal-Europe pipeline is not used, then the EU countries will be able to maintain the volume of purchases of Russian gas at the current level only through the emergency launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Otherwise, the pumping of gas to Europe from Russia may fall by 40%, says Kirill Melnikov, head of the Energy Development Center.

"If transit through Ukraine is fully interrupted, then the only way for the EU to maintain the current volume of purchases of Russian gas will be the emergency launch of Nord Stream 2 strings, which are ready for operation. Otherwise (if supplies through Ukraine are stopped and Yamal-Europe is not used) the volume of Russian gas supplies to the EU will be reduced by 40% even with the full use of alternative capacities - Nord Stream 1 and TurkStream," he said in an interview with TASS.

The expert noted that if the EU does not launch Nord Stream 2 even in this scenario, then Europe most likely will not be able to reach the target level of filling its storage facilities (80%) in autumn.

Earlier on Thursday, Gazprom announced that Russian sanctions imposed against a number of foreign energy companies prohibit the holding from using the gas pipeline owned by EuRoPol GAZ to pump Russian gas through Poland. EuRoPol GAZ is a joint venture between Gazprom and the Polish PGNiG, which owns the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline.

Due to the ban on the use of Yamal-Europe for gas transit through Poland, Gazprom may not be able to fulfill all the requests of European consumers, given the reduction in supplies through Ukraine. "In fact, it concerns a gradual embargo on Russian gas supplies to Europe if Ukraine continues to reduce Gazprom's ability to transit through its territory," Melnikov concluded.

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