Gazprom, Russia’s largest gas exporter, said Saturday that it expects Siemens to fulfil its obligations when servicing gas turbines required for reliable operation of Nord Stream 1 and energy shipments to Europe.
Gazprom, a Kremlin-controlled company, has stated that it cannot guarantee the safe operation of a crucial section of the pipeline running under the Baltic Sea to Germany due to doubts about the return of a turbine made in Canada.
Gazprom stated that it had requested Siemens to provide documentation to allow the turbine to be transported to a Nord Stream 1 compressor station.
It stated that Gazprom relies on Siemens Group to fulfil its obligations regarding servicing gas turbine engines, on which depends the reliability of the Nord Stream pipeline’s operation and natural gas supply to European consumers.
Siemens Energy’s spokesperson stated that this week, the company’s specialists were “working intensely on all other formal authorizations and logistics” following Canada’s announcement of a “time-limited” permit to exempt the equipment from Russian sanctions.
The flow of physical gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which connects Russia and Germany, plunged Monday. Maintenance began on the pipeline until July 21. European markets, companies, and governments are concerned that the shutdown could be extended by Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Gazprom’s gas supplies through Ukraine to Europe remained steady at 41.6 million cubic metres on Saturday.
