Nord Stream refers to the underwater pipeline system transporting natural gas from Russia to Europe, spanning 1,200 kilometers beneath the Baltic Sea. This system directly connected Russian gas resources with European markets, bypassing transit countries and delivering gas directly to Germany.
In September 2022, a significant event shook the global energy sector—explosions caused the rupture of the pipeline under the Baltic Sea. During the series of explosions, at least 50 meters of underwater cables were destroyed. The incident not only triggered political turmoil and investigations but also disrupted gas supplies and had profound environmental consequences.
A recent study coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) revealed that this was the largest anthropogenic methane leak in history.
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According to estimates, up to 485,000 tons of methane were released—twice the volume previously considered the largest historical release.
This vast amount of methane contributed to global warming at a scale equivalent to the emissions from eight million cars over a year. While methane remains in the atmosphere for about a decade, its heat-trapping potential is over 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas.
The study highlighted that such events are only a fraction of the broader issue, as the pipeline explosion accounted for just two days’ worth of methane emissions from the global oil and gas industry.
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