While Europe is already concerned about a complete shutdown of supplies due to the explosive maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, Russian company Gazprom is now doing more: operation cannot be guaranteed, the company said on Wednesday.
The Russian skepticism has prompted the repair of a necessary turbine that is currently being repaired in Canada. Gazprom has not yet received written confirmation that the repaired turbine will be delivered from Canada to the company responsible for the installation, Siemens, the Russian gas company said on Wednesday. “Under these circumstances” Gazprom cannot guarantee the future operation of the line.
Until recently, the Kremlin had repeatedly emphasized that more gas would be supplied once the turbine was refitted.
Alternative routes not used enough
To compensate for the current lack of supplies via Nord Stream 1, Russia could make more use of a line via Ukraine, but Gazprom is not doing that. With 41.3 million cubic meters of gas, less than half of the possible volume was delivered on Wednesday. This is apparent from reports from the Ukrainian gas network operator and Gazprom.
Gazprom’s plans for the transit at the Sochranovka point have been rejected, company spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov said. In view of the war, Ukraine had declared that it no longer had control over an important compressor station there. According to Gazprom, the functioning of the systems will not be affected. The transit could also continue there.
Gas transfer stopped since Monday
Nord Stream 1 was temporarily shut down for maintenance on Monday. Given the fear in Germany that Russia may no longer be able to turn on the gas tap, a Kremlin spokesman emphasized last week that the energy superpower wanted to fulfill its contractual obligations.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
