Deputy leader of the Free Democratic Party of Germany Wolfgang Kubicki has spoken out in favor of opening the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline amid the issues with the country’s energy supply, according to an interview that was published by Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, or RND, on Friday.
"We should open Nord Stream 2 as soon as possible to fill our gas storage facilities for the winter," Kubicki said. There is "no good reason not to open Nord Stream 2," he said.
"If we get more gas this way, maybe even the entire contractually guaranteed amount, that will help people not have to freeze in winter and our industry will not suffer serious damage," said Kubicki. "Once the gas storage tanks are full, we can close Nord Stream 2 again - and the other pipelines too, once we've become independent. But we're not that yet."
The construction of Nord Stream 2 was fully completed on September 10, 2021. Its certification was stopped after Russia recognized independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.
Germany is experiencing difficulties getting gas through the Nord Stream pipeline. Since mid-June, only 40%) of its full capacity has been utilized because a gas turbine wasn’t returned after undergoing repairs in Canada due to the country’s sanctions on Russia. Later, the utilized capacity was reduced even further, to 20%.
