Russia’s Gazprom stated on Saturday Siemens was prepared to hold out repairs on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline however there was nowhere obtainable to hold out the work, a suggestion Siemens denied and stated it had not been requested to do the job.
Gazprom’s assertion got here a day after it stated it will not resume gasoline provide to Germany through Nord Stream 1 till an oil leak it stated it had detected in a turbine was mounted. It stated the repairs may solely be carried out at a specifically fitted workshop.
The Kremlin has blamed Western sanctions for disrupting Nord Stream 1 and placing obstacles in the best way of routine upkeep work. Western officers have rejected this declare and Siemens Vitality stated sanctions don’t prohibit upkeep.
Earlier than the most recent spherical of upkeep, Gazprom had already lower flows to only 20 per cent of the pipeline’s capability.
“Siemens is participating in restore work in accordance with the present contract, is detecting malfunctions … and is able to repair the oil leaks. Solely there’s nowhere to do the restore,” Gazprom stated in an announcement on its Telegram channel on Saturday.
Different generators obtainable: Siemens
Siemens Vitality stated it had not been commissioned to hold out the work however was obtainable, including that the Gazprom reported leak didn’t usually have an effect on the operation of a turbine and may very well be sealed on web site.
“Regardless of this, we now have already identified a number of occasions that there are sufficient further generators obtainable within the Portovaya compressor station for Nord Stream 1 to function,” a spokesperson for the corporate stated.
Flows by Nord Stream 1 have been because of resume early on Saturday morning. However hours earlier than it was set to start out pumping gasoline, Gazprom printed a photograph on Friday of what it stated was an oil leak on a chunk of Nord Stream 1 gear.
Siemens Vitality, which provides and maintains gear at Nord Stream 1’s Portovaya compressor station stated on Friday the leak didn’t represent a technical cause to cease gasoline flows.
Europe has accused Russia of utilizing gasoline provides as a weapon in what Moscow has known as an “financial struggle” with the West over the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Requested in regards to the halt on Saturday, Financial Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni stated the European Union expects Russia to respect power contracts it has agreed however was ready to fulfill the problem if Moscow fails to take action.
German community regulator stated the nation’s gasoline provide was presently assured however the scenario was tense and additional deterioration couldn’t be dominated out.