Standing next to the turbine on a visit to the Siemens Energy ( ENR1n.DE ) plant in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Scholz said it was fully operational and could be shipped back to Russia at any time – provided Moscow was willing to take him back. The fate of the 12-meter (13-yard) turbine is being closely watched as European governments have accused Russia of cutting gas supplies under false pretenses in retaliation for Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine in February. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Moscow denies it is doing so and has cited turbine problems as the reason for lower gas flows through Nord Stream 1, which have been reduced to 20% of capacity. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov contradicted Solz’s statements on Wednesday, blaming a lack of documentation for the suspension of the turbine’s return to Russia. He also looked at the prospect of Europe receiving natural gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a Moscow-led project blocked by the West as Russia sent troops into Ukraine. read more The turbine’s movements were shrouded in secrecy and its whereabouts unknown until Tuesday afternoon, when the chancellor’s visit to Siemens Energy was announced. “The turbine is working,” Scholz said, telling reporters that the purpose of his visit was to show the world that the turbine was working and “there was nothing mystical to observe here.” “It’s quite clear and simple: the turbine is there and can be delivered, but someone has to say ‘I want to have it’.” Even if Russia were to take back the turbine, Scholz warned that Germany could face further disruptions to the line and that supply contracts may not be honoured. He also said it “may make sense” for Germany to keep its three remaining nuclear plants operating beyond a planned shutdown at the end of 2022, a policy reversal that has won support given the risk of a complete shutdown of Russian gas in the winter .
STANDING TOGETHER
A senior executive at Kremlin-controlled Gazprom ( GAZP.MM ) said the delivery of the turbine after maintenance was not in line with the contract and had been sent to Germany without Russia’s consent. read more Next to Scholz, Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch confirmed there were ongoing talks with Gazprom, “but no deal.” Collapsing natural gas supplies and soaring prices have sparked recession warnings for the German economy, Europe’s largest, and fueled fears of energy shortages and a glut heading into winter. After being forced to bail out utility Uniper ( UN01.DE ) when it became an early victim of the gas crisis, Scholz’s government will have to tweak new energy reforms introduced, sources told Reuters on Wednesday. read more Scholz told Germans to brace themselves for rising bills and his government urged them to save energy where possible, such as taking shorter showers. “This is now a moment where we must stand together as a country. But it is also a moment where we can show what we are capable of,” he said. But he chose not to answer questions about his Social Democratic predecessor, former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is increasingly derided in Germany for his pro-Russian views and friendship with President Vladimir Putin. Schroeder said Russia was ready for a negotiated settlement to end the war in an interview published Wednesday after he traveled to Russia to meet Putin last week. read more Putin told Schroeder that Nord Stream 2 could supply 27 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe by the end of the year if it is allowed to operate, Peskov said. “Putin explained everything in detail and the former chancellor asked if it was possible to use Nord Stream 2 in a critical situation,” Peskov said. “Putin was not the initiator, Putin did not offer to activate it, but Putin said that it is technologically possible and this complex mechanism is ready for immediate use.” Scholz signaled that Nord Stream 2 would not be used as an alternative. “We’ve ended the approval process, for good reason,” Scholz said. “There is sufficient capacity in Nord Stream 1, there is no shortage.” Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Christoph Steitz Writing by Kirsti Knolle and Matthias Williams Editing by Madeline Chambers and Elaine Hardcastle Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.