Russia stops supplying electricity to Finland from 14.5

RAO Nordic, a subsidiary of Russian state energy group Inter RAO, announced on May 13 that it would stop supplying electricity to Finland, citing the lack of payment for May exports. Reuters.

“This is an exceptional situation, the first in our more than 20-year history of buying and selling,” RAO Nordic said in a statement, saying it hoped the situation would “soon” improve and the transaction to be successful. can keep coming back.

Finland’s capital Helsinki afp

Finnish grid operator Fingrid said the power cut would begin at 1 a.m. on May 14 (local time).

“There is no threat to adequate electricity supply in Finland,” the company said, adding that electricity from Russia accounts for about 10% of Finland’s total electricity consumption.

“The shortage of imported electricity in the market can be replaced by importing more electricity from Sweden and partly producing it domestically,” Fingrid said.

According to Fingrid, the pan-European electricity exchange Nord Pool has not paid Inter RAO since May 6 for the electricity it buys from the Russian company.

“Nord Pool is the one paying for them. Fingrid is not a party to this transaction, we are helping to connect the electricity transfer from Russia to Finland,” said Reima Paivinen, Fingrid’s senior vice president of operations. , told Reuters.

A Nord Pool spokesman said the company does not comment on market information that customers have reported via emergency notice.

On May 12, Finnish leaders declare the country must register to join NATO “immediately”, amid security concerns of Helsinki have grown significantly because of Russia’s launch of the campaign. military in Ukraine. Finland shares a 1,300 km border with Russia.

Kremlin warning Russia will “definitely” consider Finland’s accession to NATO as a threat, while the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow will be “forced to take reciprocal steps, militarily-technically and in other fields”. other areas, to address threats”.

Last month, Russia was cut off gas supply Bulgaria and Poland after they refused to pay in rubles, a change they say would contravene Western sanctions.

This week, Russia’s Gazprom announced that it would stop supplying gas to the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe pipeline.