One of the early casualties of Russia's territorial ambitions in Ukraine was the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, a massive energy project that cost $11 billion.
Meanwhile, Germany's energy regulator, Bundesnetzagentur, told CNBC that the pipeline was far from being in a position where it could be certified either.
A container is decorated with a map showing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which was expected to deliver Russian gas to European households, in Lubmin's industrial park, northeastern Germany, on March 1, 2022.With Germany turning its back on Russian gas, it's abundantly clear that Nord Stream 2 is now clearly at odds with EU energy policy, Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING, told CNBC on Tuesday.
The U.S. has banned imports of Russian-origin oil, liquified natural gas and coal while the EU has banned new investments in the Russian energy sector and the U.K. has sanctioned the leaders of Russian energy companies. Nord Stream 2 "will not be re-launched or approved unless the Ukraine war comes to a conclusion that ensures Ukrainian territory and peace in a way that future Russian aggression is perceived as having been eradicated," Henning Gloystein, director of energy, climate and resources at Eurasia Group, told CNBC Wednesday.
"The only conceivable scenario for revival – and probably why NS2 is officially suspended, not canceled - seems to be under a totally reformed Russian government. Even then, I suspect Germany would be reluctant to just revive NS2 in its past form. I suspect Germany would probably seek to transform it into a hydrogen pipeline. But that all seems a bit farfetched at this stage," Gloystein noted. CNBC has asked for further comment from the German government and is awaiting a response.