Head of Naftogaz: Siemens refused to cooperate with Ukraine because of fear of losing Russian orders
Siemens, under pressure from Russia, refused to continue supplying equipment for the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS), Interfax-Ukraine reports quoting the head of the board of Naftogaz of Ukraine, Andriy Kobolyev, as saying.
"The first compressors had already been brought in; they were Siemens compressors. But then Siemens called and said that if we brought them, then we would lose the Russian market," the head of Naftogaz said.
According to him, the company had to turn to General Electric for new supplies.
In July it became known that Russia, in violation of the sanctions regime, sent gas turbines made by the German concern Siemens (model SGT5-2000E) to the Crimea.
The turbines, which were contractually destined for a power plant in the Krasnodar region of the Russian Federation, were manufactured through a joint venture of the German concern and Russian company Power Machines in St. Petersburg, and then modernized at Rostec plants.
In late July, Siemens severed its license agreement with Russian companies for the supply of equipment for power plants, as well as temporarily stopped the supply of equipment for power plants under existing contracts with state customers from Russia.