Context

The leaking of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea is the biggest single event that led to the massive release of climate-damaging methane. But the incident is a “drop in the ocean compared to the amount of methane released globally,” found the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

About

About methane:

• Methane is a rapidly accelerating part of the climate problem.
• It is the primary component of natural gas, and it warms the planet more than 80 times as quickly as a comparable volume of atmospheric CO2 over a comparable amount of time.
• Sources of Methane:
  • Biological Sources
  • Agriculture
  • Paddy rice cultivation
  • Emissions from Fuel and Industries

Methane stays in the atmosphere for only ten years, unlike CO2, which persists for hundreds or thousands of years.

What is Nord stream project?

• Owned by the Russian energy giant, Gazprom, Nord Stream Pipeline is the longest subsea pipeline.
• It is an export gas pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea carrying gas from Russia to Europe.
• The gas for Nord Steam comes mainly from the Bovanenkovo oil and gas condensate deposit in Western Siberia.
• Nord Stream consists of two pipelines, which have two lines each.
  • Nord Stream 1 that runs from Vyborg in Russia to Lubmin in Germany was completed in 2011.
  • Nord Stream 2 that runs from Ust-Luga in Russia to Lubmin in Germany was completed in 2021.
• Both the pipelines together can transport a combined total of 110 billion cubic metres of gas a year to Europe for at least 50 years.
• The Nord Stream crosses the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of several countries including Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, and the territorial waters of Russia, Denmark, and Germany.
• While both pipelines are not currently running commercially, they had millions of cubic metres of gas stored in them.

The leak event:

• Two leaks were detected on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, both in an area northeast of the Danish island of Bornholm.
• Sweden had reported two separate underwater explosions, very close to where the leaks occurred.
• Possible causes of the leak- The investigations have not yet revealed the cause behind the leaks.
• Possible causes range from technical malfunctions to a lack of maintenance, to even possibly sabotage (deliberate damage or destruction of equipment or property which belongs to the enemy).
• The European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) called the leaks acts of sabotage.
• Russia, which controls the pipeline, has not ruled out sabotage either.
• Ukraine said the leaks were likely the result of a terrorist attack carried out by Russia.
• Various European countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, have launched separate investigations into the matter.
  
  

Concerns

• Economic impact- European gas prices immediately spiked after the reports of the leaks emerged.
  • As a result of the leak, all the stored gas is escaping.
  • The pipelines are unlikely to provide any gas to Europe through the forthcoming winter months.
  • Depending on the intensity of the damage caused by these ruptures, permanent closure of the Nord Stream lines was also a possibility.
• Environmental impact- Methane is a large component of natural gas and is also a potent greenhouse gas.
• It is the second-largest contributor to climate change after CO2.
• Other impacts- Vessels could lose buoyancy if they enter the area, and there might be a risk of leaked gas igniting over the water and in the air.