As announced on Wednesday, the state-owned Russian gas company Gazprom has further reduced gas deliveries to Europe. Gazprom has justified the reduced deliveries via the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline with maintenance of a gas turbine.
On Wednesday, Vitalyj Markelov, CEO of Gazprom, blamed the German company Siemens Energy for Gazprom's challenges with gas turbines. He says that Russia is still waiting to receive a gas turbine that is being repaired at Siemens in Canada.
- We expected to receive a repaired engine from Siemens back in May. But today we still have not received this engine, he tells Russian television.
Siemens Energy contradicts Gazprom's explanation. According to Siemens, the repaired turbine is ready to be immediately sent back to Russia. But Gazprom must provide the necessary customs documents for this to happen. And the company has not yet done so, Siemens explains.
- As a customer, Gazprom must ensure that they are filled, Siemens says.
Normally supplies millions of European homes
The turbine will be used at the Portovaya station, from which gas is pumped from Russia to Germany via Nord Stream 1. On Wednesday, Gazprom further reduced the gas to Europe via Nord Stream 1. This means that 20 percent of the gas pipeline's capacity is being used.
Therefore, 33 million cubic meters of Russian gas are now delivered via the gas pipeline to Europe daily. When operating at full capacity, the gas pipeline can deliver approximately 167 million cubic meters of gas per day.
Nord Stream 1 normally transports 55 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea every year. That is enough to supply approximately 26 million European homes. Russia insists that it is a reliable supplier of oil and gas.
According to Russia, the problem with the repair and return of the turbine is an example of how the West's economic sanctions against Russia because of the war hit Western countries like a boomerang.
Conversely, European powers believe that Russia is using gas as a means of blackmail. Among other things, Germany has completely rejected Russia's explanation of maintenance as a reason for turning down the gas.
On Wednesday, EU countries agreed to reduce gas consumption by 15 percent to reduce dependence on Russian gas. Nord Stream 1 normally accounts for about a third of Russian gas exports to Europe.
Ritzau / Reuters
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