Sweden’s coastguard said Friday that one of the four leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea had diminished in size, as environmental experts warned of the climate impact.
The leak, which is located above Nord Stream 2, “has diminished, but is still ongoing,” the Swedish Coast Guard said in a statement Friday morning.
All the leaks, which several countries say were caused by suspected sabotage as underwater explosions were recorded on Monday, were in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm.
Two of the leaks are located in the Swedish exclusive economic zone, and the two others in the Danish one.
The other leak on the Swedish side, which is larger and located above Nord Stream 1, showed no signs of weakening, according to the coast guard.
Asked by AFP about the development of the leaks on the Danish side, the Danish police declined to comment.
Copenhagen on Wednesday estimated that more than half of the gas in the two pipelines — which were not in operation but filled with gas — had escaped and the pipes were expected to be empty by Sunday.
According to a simulation released Friday by the Norwegian research institute NILU, the methane released has been moving with the wind over several Swedish and Norwegian regions since Monday, even reaching the United Kingdom.
According to its estimates, nearly 80,000 tonnes of methane have already escaped from the damaged pipes.
The methane releases are not dangerous for the health of local residents, but authorities and environmental groups have raised concerns about their climate impact.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connect Russia to Germany, have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
