The rejection of Nord Stream has brought the EU to the use of firewood, the Foreign Ministry said

Brief retelling from RIA II

The abandonment of the Nord Stream gas pipeline and the closure of nuclear power plants in Europe have led to the need to extend the operation of coal-fired power plants and use firewood.

The Netherlands and Germany have already reactivated coal-fired power plants, and Romania has agreed with the European Commission to delay the closure of coal-fired power plants until 2029.

In the fall of 2022, prices for firewood and pellets increased in Europe: in Spain, prices increased by 20–30% and 67% per year, respectively, in France, pellets almost doubled in price.

MOSCOW, October 8 - RIA Novosti. The abandonment of the Nord Stream gas pipeline and the closure of nuclear power plants have already brought Europe to the need to extend the operation of coal-fired power plants and use firewood, Sergei Kononuchenko, special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry on climate issues, told RIA Novosti.

“The rejection of low-emission Russian natural gas by blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines, the closure of nuclear power plants - all this is an explosive mixture of the desire to punish Russia and attempts to accelerate the greening of their own economies,” Kononuchenko said.

At the same time, according to the diplomat, it is possible to refuse gas supplies only if there is a stable and reliable alternative that is achievable from a financial point of view.

“When the population begins to ask questions about rising prices and inflation, which directly threatens the political career of the EU leadership, feverish measures are taken, in particular extending the operation of coal power plants or increasing the use of firewood (pellets),” the diplomat added.

The Netherlands and Germany have already reactivated coal-fired power plants, and Romania, which planned to close coal-fired power plants by 2026, agreed with the European Commission on a delay until 2029. Europe turned to firewood and pellets back in the fall of 2022: in Spain, prices for them increased by 20-30% and 67% over the year, respectively; in France, pellets almost doubled in price - up to 600 euros per ton, El Pais newspaper reported.

Explosions on two Russian gas export pipelines to Europe - Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 - occurred on September 26, 2022. Germany, Denmark and Sweden have not ruled out targeted sabotage. Nord Stream AG, the operator of the Nord Stream, noted that the destruction of gas pipelines is unprecedented, and the time frame for repairs is impossible to estimate. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office initiated a case regarding an act of international terrorism. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the Russian Federation has repeatedly requested data on explosions at Nord Stream, but has never received it.