While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is already warning to prepare for “the worst” when it comes to gas, the dispute over the gas turbine for Nord Stream 1 continues. While Gazprom once again blames Germany, Berlin rejects accusations that the turbine could be delivered any time.
The gang over the urgently needed spare part for the gas pipeline moves into the next round. Gazprom had recently reduced its deliveries to about 20 percent of the theoretically possible capacity. From Russia there is always the hint that the turbine has not yet been delivered and therefore cannot be installed. Only one of the six turbines is currently in use.
Delivery “always” possible
According to a spokesman for the German government, the turbine, which was originally maintained in Canada, is already ready for use. Accordingly, Siemens could supply and use them to Russia at any time, but this is not possible in Russia for political reasons, government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs added that the exact location of the turbine has not been named for safety reasons. However, Nord Stream 1 can be used normally.
Russia stands in the way
However, Gazprom does not want to accept the part outright. Gazprom deputy boss Vitaly Markelov justified this with the fact that delivery from Canada went through Germany and did not go directly to Russia – this happened without prior consultation, he explained on Russian state television “Rossiya-24”.
The turbine can therefore only be accepted if the EU and Great Britain give guarantees that Western sanctions will not be applied. As Markelov explained, Gazprom wrote a total of ten letters to Siemens Energy – but only a quarter of the problems raised were resolved.
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.
