The Swedish Coast Guard says that a Nord Stream leak has been reduced
Sweden’s coast guard has said that one of the four leaks on Nord Stream’s pipelines in the Baltic Sea had reduced in size, as environmental experts warned of climate impacts.
The leak, located above Nord Stream 2, “has decreased, but is still ongoing,” the Swedish Coast Guard said in a statement this morning.
All the leaks, which several countries say were caused by suspected sabotage when underwater explosions were registered on Monday, were in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm.
Two of the leaks are in the Swedish exclusive economic zone and the other two in the Danish one.
The second leak on the Swedish side, which is larger and located above Nord Stream 1, showed no signs of weakening, according to the coast guard.
Denmark estimated on Wednesday that more than half of the gas in the two pipelines – which were not operating but filled with gas – had escaped and the lines were expected to be empty by Sunday.
According to a simulation released this morning by the Norwegian research institute NILU, since Monday the released methane has moved with the wind over several Swedish and Norwegian regions and even reached the UK.
According to its estimates, almost 80,000 tons of methane have already escaped from the damaged pipes.
The methane emissions are not dangerous to the health of local residents, but authorities and environmental groups have expressed concern about their climate impact.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which link Russia to Germany, have been at the center of geopolitical tensions as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin has said it is not ruling out sabotage as the cause of the damage.
The pipeline leaks have raised concerns about potential sabotage of other European energy infrastructure.
Outgoing Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government has strengthened maritime surveillance and controls on the pipelines that bring gas to Italy from the south and east, two senior officials told Reuters.