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NORD STREAM

Russia summons German, Swedish and Danish envoys over Nord Stream

Russia on Thursday summoned the envoys of Germany, Sweden and Denmark over Moscow's frustration with the lack of progress on probes into the sabotaged Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Russia summons German, Swedish and Danish envoys over Nord Stream
Gas escaping from the damaged Nord Stream pipeline on September 27th 2022. File photo: Danish Armed Forces

Built to carry Russian gas to Germany, the pipelines in the Baltic Sea were ruptured by subsea explosives months after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February, 2022.

Western countries have blamed the explosions under the Baltic Sea last September on Russia, but the Kremlin has accused the West of sabotage.

German, Swedish and Danish authorities have been investigating the blasts that sparked four leaks.

On Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry said it summoned the envoys and made an official diplomatic protest over “a complete lack of results of the national investigations allegedly carried out by the authorities of these countries”.

Moscow decried the three EU nations for failing to “ensure the transparency” of the investigations and insisted that Russia should be involved in the probes.

The Russian foreign ministry also pointed to the three countries’ “lack of interest” in establishing the truth.

“They are clearly dragging their heels and trying to conceal the traces and the true perpetrators of the crime,” the ministry said in a statement.

In March, the UN Security Council rejected a Moscow-drafted resolution calling for an independent inquiry into the sabotage.

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ENERGY

Are Denmark’s gas prices returning to pre-energy crisis level?

Since energy prices peaked in autumn 2022, the cost of gas has fallen in Denmark. Has it returned to previous levels?

Are Denmark's gas prices returning to pre-energy crisis level?

The average price of gas fell by 44.7 percent for households in Denmark in the second half of 2023, according to data released by the Danish Energy Agency this week.

This means that gas customers in the country paid an average of 3.55 kroner per cubic Nm less for gas in the second half of 2023 than they did in the first half of the year.

The gas price for private (as well as business) customers during the period fell by more than the spot or market price of the commodity, the Agency notes. The spot price on the Danish market fell by 7.4 percent.

This is because the price paid by customers was higher than the spot price. It remained higher despite dropping in price by a greater percentage.

On average, households paid 1.01 kroner per cubic Nm more than the gas spot price.

Despite a significant drop in 2023, the price of gas has not returned to pre-energy crisis levels.

A table published by the Energy agency shows the price paid by private gas customers in each six-month period since 2020. The table is further broken down into three bands based on consumption levels.

The price paid for gas per unit for three consumption bands (D1, D2, D3) for each half-year period since 2020. Graphic: Danish Energy Agency press release

For each of the three consumption categories, the price paid for gas can be seen rising from the beginning of 2021 and hitting a very high level in the second half of 2022.

Following the steep drop of price seen in the second half of last year, gas customers in each of the three bands are now paying slightly less per unit than they were in late 2021 (as of H2 in 2023).

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