Gazprom cannot guarantee continued operation of Nord Stream pipeline

Created: 07/13/2022Updated: 07/13/2022 5:18 p.m

By: Nail Akkoyun

Russia's energy giant Gazprom continued to pump its gas to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline despite the Ukraine war - this could now be over.

© Igor Russak/dpa

Due to routine maintenance, no gas is currently flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. According to Gazprom, it could stay that way.

Moscow/Berlin – 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 Siemens, the company responsible for the installation, the Russian company said in a statement on Wednesday (July 13).

"Under these circumstances" Gazprom cannot guarantee the future operation of the line.

Referring to the defective turbine, Moscow 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.

Energy crisis: Gazprom does not want to hear about repair work

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 allowing Siemens to take the gas turbine engine that is currently being repaired in Canada out of the country," the Russian company said.

Regular maintenance work on the Nord Stream pipeline also began on Monday (July 11), meaning that no gas is 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.

(nak/afp)