Nord Stream 2 operator sues Norwegian energy company Equinor, alleging the company refused to provide assistance after the pipeline was damaged in a 2022 explosion.
In September 2022, an explosion occurred on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The Russian operator sought Equinor's help in investigating the cause of the incident, stressing that the Norwegian company was obliged to assist under industry commitments.
Equinor has rejected the request, citing sanctions imposed by the European Union after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022.
"We cannot support Nord Stream 2 because this would violate the sanctions imposed by the European Union on the Russian Federation," Equinor spokesman Ola Morten Aanestad explained in an interview with PAP.
The Gazprom-owned Nord Stream 2 pipeline is scheduled to carry 54 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe each year. The underwater explosion in 2022 also damaged the Nord Stream pipeline that runs parallel to Nord Stream 2.
After the devastating sabotage, Europe faced an energy crisis. The situation has been partly alleviated by Norwegian gas supplies. According to Equinor data, Norway’s supply will meet about 30% of Europe’s demand by 2024.
The trial of the Nord Stream 2 operator's lawsuit against Equinor will be held in a court in Stavanger, Norway. The parties did not disclose the amount of compensation sought in the lawsuit.
Nord Stream 2 pipeline completed in September 2021. Initially, the gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany was scheduled to be completed before the end of 2019. However, construction was delayed due to US sanctions.
Despite being completed, Nord Stream 2 has never officially entered operation because Germany suspended its certification on February 22, 2022, before the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline consists of two branches, with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year. On September 26, 2022, two branches of the Nord Stream pipeline and one branch of Nord Stream 2 were damaged in large explosions, leaving only one branch of Nord Stream 2 intact.
