The flame at the Portovaya compressor station northwest of Saint Petersburg can therefore be seen as far as neighboring Finland and clearly on satellite images. It is said to be gas that was intended for export to Germany but cannot be discharged elsewhere at the moment due to the lower utilization of the pipeline.
Gas flaring in processing is not uncommon. According to the BBC, however, experts were amazed at the amount. According to the report, the industry service RystadEnergy assumes that 4.34 million cubic meters of gas go up in smoke there every day – that corresponds to a value of around ten million euros a day.
Germany’s ambassador in London, Miguel Berger, told the BBC on Friday that the flaring had been observed for some time. This shows that the reduction in the share of Russian gas in German consumption from over 50 to around 10 percent is having an effect and is having a strong effect on the Russian economy. He added: “Because they have nowhere else to sell their gas, they have to burn it.”
According to Russian information, Nord Stream 1 is currently only 20 percent utilized due to a lack of turbines. This means that around 33 million cubic meters of gas are pumped through the Baltic Sea to Germany every day. The cutbacks, justified by the Russian side with technical necessities, have led to a further massive increase in gas prices.
In addition, Russia announced that it would interrupt gas supplies through Nord Stream 1 for three days from August 31. The last remaining turbine at the Portovaya compressor station will then be serviced on site by Siemens experts.
There are fears on the market that the gas flow from Russia, which has already been severely restricted, could stop completely if deliveries are not resumed after the break. Russia says it wants to meet its delivery commitments.
Russian energy giant Gazprom does not confirm that unsold gas is flared. The state-owned company announced on Friday that storage facilities in Russia would be actively replenished for autumn and winter. They are 91.4 percent full.
Almost seven million people could not get the 300 euro energy price flat rate. The Federal Working Group for Debt Counseling fears that these are over-indebted people. The money from the lump sum could be collected for existing debts.
The crisis at RBB around ex-director Patricia Schlesinger never ends. New revelations by the broadcaster’s own research team now show how close the relationship was between Schlesinger and the head of the board of directors, Wolf-Dieter Wolf – the man who was supposed to monitor them.
After the RBB scandal, more and more details about other luxury treatments by public service employees are coming to light.
