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German ex-chancellor Schroeder blames Siemens Energy for issues with Nord Stream turbine

Gerhard Schroeder noted that the Kremlin had not made any political announcement about reducing the flow of gas

BERLIN, August 3. /TASS/. German ex-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in an interview with Stern on Wednesday put the blame on Siemens Energy for problems with a turbine needed for the normal functioning of the Nord Stream pipeline.

"The turbines that are needed to get the gas pumped into the pipeline come from Siemens and have to be serviced regularly. But Siemens brought the much-discussed turbine from maintenance in Canada to Muelheim an der Ruhr. And I don’t understand why it’s there and not in Russia," he told the German magazine.

"One must always be kept in reserve for emergencies, that’s Russian law. Number two was in Canada and is in Muelheim now, while number three is broken and needs repair," the former German chancellor said. "Number four had to undergo a regular check last week, and turbine number five is working, it is pumping 30 million cubic meters of gas per day," he added.

"So, we currently have 20% of the normal amount of gas in the pipeline. It would be 60 million, or twice as much, if only turbine number two were available. That’s Siemens’ responsibility, if I see it correctly," said Schroeder.

Schroeder said he had asked about any Russian political statements on reduced gas flows during his visit to Moscow. "The Kremlin has not made any political announcement about moves to reduce the flow of gas. This is primarily a technical and bureaucratic issue, on both sides, by the way. And one side shifts responsibility to the other," Schroeder concluded.

On Tuesday, the German television channel N-tv said the turbine that is needed for the normal functioning of the Nord Stream gas pipeline was still in Germany. The country’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, will on Wednesday visit a Siemens Energy industrial site, where together with the company’s CEO Christian Bruch he will inspect the turbine.

In his turn, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters he was not aware of the whereabouts of the turbine for Nord Stream that should have returned from repairs in Canada. He redirected questions about it to Gazprom.

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