FRANKFURT, Germany — A senior manager at Russia's Gazprom said on July 27 that the company was still awaiting the return of a Siemens Energy turbine for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, blaming the German company for the delay, according to a Reuters report.
Siemens Energy said it was up to Gazprom to supply the required customs papers for the return of the turbine after servicing in Canada.
Russia has cited turbine problems as its reason for cutting gas supply via Nord Stream 1—its main gas link to Europe—to just 20% of capacity from Wednesday.
The EU has accused it of energy blackmail, which Moscow denies, as the two sides trade economic blows and hostile rhetoric over the war in Ukraine.
Gazprom's Deputy Chief Executive Vitaly Markelov told Rossiya 24 TV, "We had counted on receiving one repaired engine from Siemens [Energy] as far back as May, but as of today we haven't got this engine."
He said further turbines needed repair but "Siemens does not provide work to solve these problems."
Siemens Energy reiterated that the transportation of the serviced turbine could start immediately.
"The German authorities provided Siemens Energy with all the necessary documents for the export of the turbine to Russia. What is missing, however, are the customs documents for import to Russia. Gazprom, as the customer, is required to provide those," Siemens said.
The turbine is needed for Nord Stream 1's Portovaya compressor station, which pumps gas to Germany through the 1,200-km-long (750-mile) pipeline on the bed of the Baltic Sea.
Siemens Energy also said on Wednesday that it had not received any damage reports regarding the turbines of Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline from Russia's Gazprom so far, adding it did not have access to the turbines on site.
"Therefore, we have to assume that the turbines are operating normally," the company said, adding any future maintenance work could be facilitated as the Canadian government had already agreed the turbines, maintained by Siemens Energy in Montreal, could be transported from Canada to Germany.
07.27.2022
