Norway has become the Europe's main gas supplier
Norway is, for the moment, Europe's main supplier of gas, but authorities have been concerned about how to protect its nine thousand km of underwater pipelines, Digi24.ro reports. The fears come after portions of the Nord Stream pipeline were blown up last September.
The Nordic state of Norway has become Europe's biggest gas supplier following EU leaders' decision to cut gas supplies from Russia via the Nord Stream pipeline1 from September 2022. According to European officials, Moscow has not been a reliable supplier and natural gas can be the subject of energy blackmail.
Thus, Norway has to protect some 9,000 kilometres of underwater pipelines and cables, plus oil and gas installations at sea and on land. Norwegian military forces are currently on round-the-clock patrol, and sabotage actions cannot be ruled out.
Concerns are justified after portions of the Nord Stream pipeline were blown up last September, leaving Norway also vulnerable. Previously, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the Norwegian armed forces had increased defensive readiness. "We must expect threats all over the country, at sea, in the air and online. Therefore, we need to increase defensive readiness at home," the Norwegian Prime Minister stated.
Over the past two years, the country's exports of natural gas to the European Union have increased tenfold and crude oil exports fivefold, which has contributed to a drop in the price of the products, according to the Norwegian authorities. Until the beginning of winter, European countries had created a safety net by storing gas. And to reduce dependence on Russian gas, some countries have stored up to 100% of their consumption for the current winter.
