Scholz Accuses Moscow of False Claims Regarding Undelivered Gas Turbine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused Moscow on Wednesday of reduced gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and dismissed claims by the Russian state energy company Gazprom that the flow was reduced because Germany did not deliver a gas compression turbine that is part of the pipeline.

– “Absolutely nothing prevents the delivery of the turbine to Russia. It can be transported at any moment and is ready for use. All that is needed is for someone to request it,” said Olaf Scholz on Wednesday while visiting Siemens facilities in Mühlheim an der Ruhr, where this turbine is currently located after months of repairs in Canada.

He explained that no one at Gazprom has yet officially requested the transport of the turbine or sent the necessary customs documents to enable transport to the pumping station in Viborg, near the Russian-Finnish border, where the Nord Stream 1 pipeline enters the Baltic. Gazprom, on the other hand, claims that the necessary documents are missing from the western side.

– “All permits on our side are in place, from Canada, where the turbine was under repair, through the United Kingdom, through which it was transported, as well as the German permits,” guaranteed the German Chancellor.

Scholz pointed out that Gazprom resumed gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in July after repairs, but only at 20 percent of its possible capacity, explaining that the reason for this is the turbine that has not yet been installed in its original place. Scholz also noted that gas can be transferred through other pipelines.

In an interview with the Canadian daily ‘The Globe and Mail’, Scholz stated that the reduction in gas deliveries to Europe is part of the Kremlin’s strategy.

– “By delivering the turbine, we have exposed Putin’s bluff. He can no longer use the turbine as a reason for reducing gas inflow,” said Scholz.

For the full operational capacity of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, five turbines are needed, of which only one is currently in operation.