Everything depends on a turbine
Gazprom does not want to guarantee operation of Nord Stream
7/13/2022 5:22 p.m
Gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline have been severely curtailed since June, and almost nothing arrives in Germany without a turbine from Canada. Whether that will change again is uncertain. The Russian company Gazprom does not want to give any assurances.
The Russian gas company Gazprom has questioned the continued operation of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline against the background of the repair of a necessary turbine in Canada. Gazprom has not yet received written confirmation that the repaired turbine from Canada will actually be delivered to the company responsible for the installation, Siemens, the Russian group said in a statement. “Under these circumstances” Gazprom cannot guarantee the future operation of the line.
Referring to the defective turbine, Russia had already severely curtailed gas supplies through the Baltic Sea pipeline in mid-June. The turbine was then taken to a Siemens plant in Canada for repairs. Due to Canadian sanctions against Russia, it was initially not clear whether the device, which has since been repaired, can be returned.
However, the government in Ottawa gave the green light for the export over the weekend. The Siemens group announced that it would install the turbine as soon as possible. “Gazprom does not have a single document that allows Siemens to take the gas turbine engine that is currently being repaired in Canada out of the country,” the Russian company said.
Gas storage has almost come to a standstill
Regular maintenance work on the Nord Stream pipeline also began on Monday, so that gas is no longer flowing for the time being. The work should take around ten days. However, there were doubts as to whether gas would actually flow again after that.
The storage of gas in Germany has almost come to a standstill after the Russian deliveries through the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 were stopped. Gas is currently still being stored net, said a spokesman for the Federal Network Agency. “But that’s at a very low level.” As can be seen from the website of Europe’s gas infrastructure operator (GIE), the fill level in German gas storage facilities recently rose by only 0.09 percent a day.