E.ON rejects shutting down Nord Stream 1

Europe's largest energy networks operator E.ON said on Monday it will not shut down the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline as part of sanctions against Russia's military action against Ukraine.

“Nord Stream 1 is a permitted and fully operational gas import pipeline,” a spokesperson for the company told the paper, as reported by Reuters.

E.ON holds a 15.5 percent stake in Nord Stream 1. The company said the project was "completely different from the ongoing discussions about the Nord Stream 2 line". The comments made to the Rheinische Post newspaper on Monday, came as a response to calls by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Saturday.

Nord Stream 1 has been in operation since 2011. Shutting the pipeline means that Europe runs the possibility of facing a further energy crunch.

Nord Stream 2 pipeline was put on hold by the German government last week. Nord Stream is a joint venture between Russia's Gazprom, Germany's oil and gas company Wintershall DEA, PEG Infrastruktur E.ON, Dutch Gasunie and French Engie.