Gazprom is blocking reverse gas flow from Slovakia to Ukraine in violation of EU law, says Andriy Kobolev, the CEO of Ukraineâs state-owned gas monopoly Naftogaz, in an exclusive interview with Slovakian energy analyst Jozef Badida. As a result European companies are not able to meet the demand from gas in Ukraine and Ukraine is left at the mercy of Gazprom. Kobolev calls on the EU to take action against the Russian company. But he also notes … [Read more...]
South Stream Is Dead. Long Live South Stream
South Stream is not dead â rather it has morphed into a new project which is part of a complex commercial power play on the part of Russia and Turkey, writes Anca Elena Mihalache, Senior Analyst with the Romanian think tank Energy Policy Group. According to Mihalache, the new South Stream, if it happens, will offer new opportunities to Europe, but also new threats. In particular, the EU will see its diversification strategy come under pressure … [Read more...]
Putin’s gas gambit: what’s next after South Stream
The Russian cancellation of South Stream is not an end, but a beginning: a new start of Russian gas games in Europe and beyond, writes Agata Ćoskot-Strachota of the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) in Poland. She discusses three likely scenarios for what will happen after South Stream and notes that this is a chance for Russia and Europe to look afresh at their bilateral gas relations and new pipeline options. But, she adds, it also makes it … [Read more...]
Cancellation of South Stream is not retaliation, but a business decision
The decision to stop the South Stream project does not represent a fundamental shift in Russian energy policy, writes Friedbert PflĂŒger, Director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS) at Kingâs College London. It is not a political retaliation or a âcounter-sanctionâ, but above all a business decision: South Stream had become far too expensive in the current stagnant European gas market. … [Read more...]
A modest proposal on South Stream â for the EUâs new VP Energy Union
Ambassador Peter Poptchev offers an ingenious compromise on the stalled South Stream project: let Russia build half of it, to be filled with only new gas. The European Commission's new Vice-President for Energy Union could make this work - if she has a convincing strategy for South East Europe. (Plus: an overview of all stakeholder positions on South Stream.) … [Read more...]
Ukraine fallout: how to deal with South Stream and Nord Stream
A new report from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) contends that, in light of the Ukraine crisis, the EU should allow Gazprom to use its great new pipelines South Stream and Nord Stream for itself and not be required to grant access to third parties. But the Center for Security Studies (CSS) ETH ZĂŒrch, argues the opposite in a new report of its own. It says the EU should adopt a strict regulatory policy towards South Stream and … [Read more...]
The real prospects for South Stream: itâs all about exemption
With the end of the Nabucco pipeline project, the road seems clear for Gazprom to soon triumphantly roll out its rival South Stream project. This is certainly what recent media reports have suggested. In reality, however, South Stream is still very far from what could be described as a âlaunching phaseâ, writes Bulgarian energy consultant Valentin Stoyanov. According to Stoyanov the success of South Stream now depends on the EU. If Brussels does … [Read more...]
