Gazprom says Nord Stream 1 restart depends on Siemens
Quantum Commodity Intelligence - Russia's largest natural gas pipeline to Europe will not resume operations until Siemens Energy repairs faulty equipment, Gazprom's Deputy Chief Executive Vitaly Markelov said Tuesday.
Europe is facing its worst gas supply crisis ever, with energy prices soaring and German importers even discussing possible rationing in the European Union's biggest economy after Russia reduced flows westwards.
When asked when Nord Stream 1 would start pumping gas again, Markelov told Reuters on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok:
"You should ask Siemens. They have to repair equipment first."
Siemens Energy said it was not currently commissioned by Gazprom to do maintenance work on the turbine with the suspected engine oil leak, but was on standby.
The company, headquartered in Munich, Germany, said on Tuesday that it did not comprehend Gazprom's presentation of the situation, reported Reuters.
It said an engine oil leak at the last remaining turbine in operation at the Portovaya compressor station did not constitute a reason to keep the pipeline closed.
Siemens Energy has been embroiled in the row over the gas turbine since June, which Europe said Moscow has repeatedly used as a pretext to slash natural gas flows to Europe along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
Speaking at the same conference, Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov told Russia's TASS it was highly unlikely that Europe can manage without Russian gas, even as far out 2027.
"The situation with spot prices proves that this is not so simple. Europe can hardly rely on anyone except the US, which is scaling up LNG production," Shulginov said.
"I think the forthcoming winter will show how real their belief in the possibility of rejecting Russian gas is. This will actually lead to a halt of industry, including the chemical one, and gas-fired power generation.
"This will be an absolutely new life for Europeans. I believe they, most probably, will not manage to abandon Russian gas, this is too unsustainable for them," he added.
