THE NORD STREAM gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany restarted today after 10 days of maintenance work, its operator has said. 

“It’s working,” a Nord Stream spokesman said, without specifying the amount of gas being delivered.

The German government had feared the pipeline would not be reopened by Moscow after the scheduled work.

According to data given by Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom to Gascade, the German operator of the line, 530 GWh would be delivered during the day.

This was only 30% of its capacity, Klaus Mueller, president of Germany’s energy regulator, the Federal Network Agency, said on Twitter.

Gazprom has cut flows to Germany via the vital Nord Stream 1 pipeline by some 60% in recent weeks, blaming the absence of a Siemens gas turbine that was undergoing repairs in Canada.

The German government has rejected Gazprom’s turbine explanation and believes Russia is squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline under the Baltic Sea has been shut down since July 11 to undergo annual maintenance.

The European Commission yesterday urged EU countries to reduce demand for natural gas by 15% over the coming months to secure winter stocks and defeat Russian “blackmail”. 

Announcing an emergency plan, EU commissioners also asked member states to give Brussels special powers to impose compulsory energy rationing if Russia cuts off Europe’s gas lifeline.

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday said that Ireland was not reliant on Russian gas but that there was a need to stockpile to prevent a price hike.  

The EU has been finding alternative fossil fuel sources for energy and putting plans in place to ramp up renewables since Russia attacked Ukraine earlier this year.