German authorities believe that the leaks found in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in Baltic waters will lead to irreversible damage, rendering them permanently useless. The news was reported by German daily “Der Tagesspiegel” citing Berlin government sources.
According to current estimates, the damage cannot be repaired quickly, and seawater will seep into the pipelines, causing irreversible corrosion.
The Danish government warned on Wednesday that an investigation into three leaks at the Baltic gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 could take several weeks.
Three spills occurred in international waters: two in the Danish exclusive economic zone and one in Sweden.
According to information presented by the Swedish Coast Guard on Wednesday, the gas flow in the area continues with the same force as the previous day.
The EU warned today that it would act with a “strong and coordinated response” to any “deliberate disruption of the European energy infrastructure”.
Both taps are not working. Nord Stream 1, which became operational in 2011 and connects Russian gas to Europe via Germany, halted supplies a few weeks ago after Moscow blamed an oil spill at the only Russian compressor station still in operation.
Nord Stream 2, whose construction began in 2011, did not become operational after Germany suspended the ratification process due to Moscow’s recognition of the self-declared breakaway republics of the Donbass. This year, with the invasion of Ukraine, that credibility was suspended.