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The energy crisis
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Ukrainian forces are shelling a route that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection mission could take to reach the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant this week, local authorities claimed on Tuesday.
Zaporozhye Region council member Vladimir Rogov told RIA Novosti that “Ukrainian nationalists are targeting locations that could be visited by the IAEA mission in Energodar,” where the plant is located. He added that “[Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky’s regime also started a military operation in the south of the country,” which raises concerns for the safety of the IAEA mission.
Rogov also said Kiev’s forces have shelled the NPP’s resort house that could accommodate the IAEA delegation.
On Monday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi announced that an expert group would visit the NPP this week to assess the damage sustained by the plant and check the safety and security systems. Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian control since March.
www.rt.com/russia/561775-ukraine-shelling-un-iaea-zaporozhye-nuclear
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The flow of gas to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline was suspended due to routine maintenance on Wednesday, Russian company Gazprom has said.
The undersea pipeline runs from Vyborg in western Russia to Lubmin in northern Germany. Gazprom said deliveries would be suspended from Wednesday till Saturday.
The halt in deliveries takes place as Europe grapples with soaring energy prices amid fears of gas shortages on the continent. Some politicians have expressed concern that Moscow could shut down the supplies entirely in response to the sweeping sanctions imposed on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine.
Gazprom previously shut down the Nord Stream 1 for 10 days in July, also citing maintenance. The company said the operation of the pipeline was affected by the holdup of a repaired turbine in Canada due to sanctions.
www.rt.com/business/561860-russia-halts-gas-deliveries-nord-stream
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Germany’s counter-intelligence has been investigating two senior officials at the Ministry of Economic Affairs because Minister Robert Habeck suspected them of being Russian spies, the weekly Zeit reported on Wednesday. The outlet described the revelation as “explosive” and having the “makings of a political scandal.”
Habeck and his aides contacted the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz, also known as BfV) sometime this spring, citing “inconsistencies in internal documents” related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, natural gas in storage facilities, and the report on Germany’s energy security, Zeit wrote.
The documents reportedly “oozed understanding” for the Russian point of view and the arguments stated in them “often did not match the government’s official line,” according to the weekly. The officials allegedly “deviated” from Habeck’s position on halting the certification of Nord Stream 2, the status of Gazprom Germany, as well as the bailout of the gas supplier Uniper.
Checking into the officials, BfV reportedly found “biographical anomalies,” such as a study trip to Russia in one case and “emotional closeness to Russia” – but nothing more substantial. According to Zeit, “no solid evidence has been found” of either espionage or corruption. There wasn’t even probable cause to wiretap their phones, read their emails, or put the two officials under surveillance.
Neither the BfV nor Zeit named the officials, mindful of the “nightmare” underwent by diplomat Gerhard Sabathil in 2020. Accused of being a spy for China, he has never been able to recover his reputation even though the charges were dropped.
Germany has long relied on imports of cheap energy from Russia to power its industry. In a speech announcing a special gas tax on August 15, Habeck declared that this model had “failed and is not coming back.”
With top ministry officials being civil servants set in their ways, and many of those dealing with energy described as “east-leaning,” it is possible one or two of them have not yet “completed the mental turn,” Zeit speculated.
The investigation is apparently still ongoing, but both potential outcomes spell trouble for the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. If Habeck was right and the two men are “Kremlin moles,” then Russia will have succeeded in infiltrating one of the most important ministries in Berlin. If he was wrong, the influential Green Party politician will have to explain how he was fooled into launching a witch-hunt against the civil servants. Either way, Zeit noted, the investigation is “likely to alienate” the bureaucracy.
www.rt.com/news/561930-germany-russian-spies-economy
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Russian energy giant Gazprom announced on Friday the suspension of natural gas supplies to the EU via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, for an indefinite period, due to technical malfunctions. The pipeline was supposed to restart on September 3 following repairs to its sole operating turbine.
According to the company, it received a warning from Russia’s industrial regulator Rostekhnadzor about the turbine failure. The problems were reportedly detected during maintenance work, and the pipeline will not be able to operate without proper repairs, according to Gazprom.
The Russian firm said it has informed German manufacturer Siemens about the turbine failure and the need for an overhaul.
Repairs on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline were originally scheduled from August 31 until September 3, prompting a full shutdown of gas flows to the EU.
EU seeks ceiling on Russian gas priceREAD MORE: EU seeks ceiling on Russian gas price
Since July, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline has been operating at reduced capacity due to the shutdown of several gas turbines. Some were sent to Montreal for repairs and were stuck there due to Canadian sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. At Germany’s request, Ottawa announced an exemption for the turbines in July, and returned one turbine, but Gazprom refused to take delivery, citing irregularities in the documentation.
Gazprom has cited faulty or delayed equipment as the main reason for the 80% reduction of deliveries via the pipeline. The Kremlin said this week that only sanctions prevent Nord Stream 1 from working at full capacity. Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller also warned the sanctions could obstruct Siemens Energy from carrying out regular maintenance of the pipeline’s equipment.
Meanwhile, the newly-built Nord Stream 2 pipeline stands idle as Germany has refused to certify it for operation.
www.rt.com/business/562081-russia-eu-gas-stopped
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One in six Italians, or up to nine million people, could sink into energy poverty due to soaring bills across the EU, Italy’s ANSA news agency reported on Saturday, citing the Italian General Confederation of Crafts.
Households are considered to be in energy poverty if they cannot afford to regularly heat their homes in winter or use air conditioning in summer, and are forced to stop using high-energy household appliances, or severely limit their use.
Southern regions of the country are reportedly the worst-hit. In Campania, between 519,000 and 779,000 households are using electricity or gas on an irregular basis. In Sicily the figure is between 481,000 and 722,000, and in Calabria there are 287,000 such households.
Earlier this week, local media reported that Italy’s Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani planned to ask the entire population to turn the heating down, starting from October. Italy has already introduced some limits on the use of central heating in public buildings and apartment blocks, and these are expected to be tightened under the new measures.
www.rt.com/business/562118-italy-energy-poverty-crisis
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As a heatwave reaches 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Californians are advised not to charge their electric vehicles during certain hours.
The decision comes just weeks after the California Air Resources Board voted to ban gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has urged residents throughout the state to ‘reduce’ energy usage between 4 and 9pm ‘when the system is the most stressed because demand for electricity remains high.’
Residents are asked not to charge their electric vehicles between those hours beginning Wednesday and ending Tuesday, to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, to avoid using large appliances, and to turn off unnecessary lights.
‘Lowering electricity use during that time will ease [the] strain on the system, and prevent more drastic measures, including rotating power outages,’ the bulletin said.
inspiredstories.net/electric-car-owners-are-told-not-to-charge-their-vehicles-because-of-heatwave
California is asking its residents not to charge their electric vehicles between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. while the state grapples with an energy shortage.
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