After the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines last September, Norway and Germany have agreed to pay more attention to the security of the pipelines between the two countries. In their joint “Pipeline Commission”, which has existed for almost 30 years, discussions were held this week “on how the safety of the gas pipelines between Norway and Germany can be further improved and more closely coordinated,” according to a statement by the German Federal Ministry of Economics. The aim is for representatives from different departments and authorities to network.
At the end of September 2022, leaks were discovered on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic Sea pipelines. Investigations into who caused the explosions on the seabed are still ongoing. Sweden and Denmark have so far only established that the blasts were deliberate. Russia accuses Britain and the US of being responsible for the sabotage. In the West, it was initially thought possible that Russia itself damaged the pipeline in order to intimidate Europe. Recently, there have been increasing statements that Russia may not be an option after all.
Drones on production platforms
Around the time the leaks in the pipelines were discovered, Norwegian oil miners had seen increasing numbers of unidentified drones. There were no serious incidents, but the incidents made it clear that the energy infrastructure in the North Sea could also be at risk. Natural gas from Norwegian production in the North Sea reaches Germany via the Norpipe and Europipe I and II pipelines. According to figures from the Federal Network Agency, around 1,300 GWh of natural gas come out of Norway every day. In 2022, a total of 847,000 GWh of natural gas was consumed in Germany, 481,000 of which came from Norway.
“Together with our Norwegian partners, we are working together to ensure more security for the critical underwater infrastructure,” said Hartmut Höppner, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport. “This is a clear sign of preparation and defensiveness to all those who could damage Germany and Europe by destroying its critical infrastructure.” Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck announced the extended cooperation at the beginning of January during his visit to Norway. At the time, Norway and Germany agreed on a strategic partnership in the areas of climate, renewable energies and green industry. For example, they want to build an infrastructure through which hydrogen can reach Germany.
In 1993, Norway and Germany concluded an agreement “on the transport of gas through a pipeline from the Norwegian continental shelf and other areas to the Federal Republic of Germany”. Since then, this agreement has been monitored by a joint commission, which is to meet at least once a year. Historically, Norway has been supplying natural gas to Germany since 1977.
(anw)
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