By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Europe’s vitality provide wouldn’t be affected if the Nord Stream 2 gasoline pipeline designed to deliver Russian gasoline to Germany was halted, because the pipeline shouldn’t be but working, the European Fee mentioned on Tuesday.

“Nord Stream 2 shouldn’t be but functioning, shouldn’t be supplying vitality to Europe. It isn’t a distinct supply of vitality, it is a completely different pipeline for an present provider… There is not any change within the present state of affairs,” a Fee spokesperson informed a daily press briefing.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday placed on ice the certification of the pipeline after Russia formally recognised two breakaway areas in jap Ukraine.

Nord Stream 2 is designed to double the quantity of gasoline flowing from Russia straight to Germany, bypassing conventional transit nation Ukraine, on the mattress of the Baltic Sea.

Russia at the moment provides round 40% of Europe’s gasoline.

Issues about provide disruptions amid escalating tensions over Ukraine have led the EU to hunt different provides of gasoline in current months, from international locations together with the US, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Japan and South Korea.

European LNG imports hit a document excessive of round 11 bcm in January. The Fee has mentioned its fashions counsel the EU might address a partial disruption to Russian gasoline provide this winter, pointing to present storage ranges and international locations’ contingency plans for provide shocks.

Analysts have mentioned a disruption might push up European gasoline costs, which have soared in current months and prompted most EU international locations to roll out emergency measures to protect residents from rising payments.

The EU plans to restrict its reliance on fossil gas imports over the following decade and past, by shifting to renewable vitality and utilizing much less vitality. To satisfy its 2030 local weather change goal, the EU expects to cut back its consumption by greater than 25% in contrast with 2015 ranges.

Gasoline emits CO2 when burned, however is predicted to retain a major share of the EU vitality combine within the close to time period as international locations prioritise phasing out the dirtiest fossil gas, coal.