Gas crisis: Former Chancellor Schröder for the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 - "The simplest solution"

Created: 08/03/2022Updated: 08/03/2022 11:10 am

Gerhard Schröder sees a solution to the gas crisis: With the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 "there would be no supply problem," said the former chancellor.

Berlin – In view of the gas crisis, ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder recommends commissioning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

If things get really tight, there is this pipeline, and with both Nord Stream pipelines there would be no supply problem for German industry and German households," said the SPD member in an interview with

magazine and

Schröder described the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 as the "simplest solution" in view of possible gas bottlenecks.

Schröder is chairman of the board of directors at Nord Stream 2. He has long been criticized for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian oil and gas industry.

Nord Stream 2: traffic light has excluded use

After the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the German government ruled out the commissioning of Nord Stream 2.

Recently, seven mayors of the Baltic Sea island of Rügen spoke out in favor of using the pipeline.

“If you don't want to use Nord Stream 2, you have to face the consequences.

And they will also be huge in Germany,” said Schröder.

Anyone who heats with gas is already feeling the effects.

"It's uncomfortable for us sitting here, but it's manageable.

But for a lot of people who have to count every cent, it's going to be really tough.

And then people in Germany will ask: Why are we actually doing without the gas from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline?

Why?"

Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is President of the Board of Directors at Nord Stream 2. © Patrick Pleul/dpa

Former Chancellor Schröder blames Siemens Energy for turbines

In the debate about severely curtailed Russian natural gas deliveries, Schröder blamed Siemens Energy for the missing turbine in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

The turbines that are needed to get the gas into the pipeline at all come from the company and have to be serviced regularly, Schröder said in the interview.

But the company “brought the much-discussed turbine from maintenance in Canada to Mülheim an der Ruhr.

I don't understand why she is there and not in Russia."

According to Schröder, the fact that only 20 percent of the normal gas volume is currently being delivered via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline is due to technical reasons.

“It would be 60 million, twice as much if only turbine number 2 were available.

That is Siemens' responsibility, if I see it correctly."

Schröder calls turbine conflict a “technical and bureaucratic problem”

Since June, Russia has cut back gas supplies via Nord Stream 1.

The energy company Gazprom justified this with the missing turbine.

Gazprom has repeatedly accused its contractual partner Siemens Energy of not having sent the necessary documents and information to repair the machine.

Siemens Energy had denied Gazprom's allegations.

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Schroeder said he asked during his visit to Moscow whether the cutback in gas supplies was politically motivated.

“But the clear answer was: There is no political announcement from the Kremlin to throttle the flow of gas.

This is mainly a technical and bureaucratic problem, one on both sides, by the way.

And one side passes the buck to the other.”