Russian Firm Ready to Continue Development of Gas Turbine Amid Siemens Scandal

Russia’s Power Machines engineering company is ready to return to the development of a domestically-manufactured gas turbine on condition of state support, CEO Yuri Petrenya told Sputnik.

ST PETERSBURG (Sputnik) – According to Petrenya, the company used to work on development of such equipment, having designed and manufactured a gas turbine using its own technologies.

"Power Machines [company] is ready to return to this project on condition of certain support, including by the government, which will allow to outline potential customers of domestic gas turbines," Petrenya said.

On August 4, the EU imposed additional sanctions on Moscow over a scandal surrounding the transfer of turbines supplied by German company Siemens to the Russian peninsula of Crimea in violation of previous EU sanctions. The EU added three Russian nationals, including two Russian Energy Ministry officials and three companies to its sanctions list over the issue.

In early July, Siemens created a task force team to investigate reports about the alleged transfer of turbines produced by Siemens Gas Turbines Technologies, a joint venture with the Russian Power Machines company, to the Crimean peninsula.

On July 11, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said that the new power plants in Crimea would be equipped with turbines manufactured in Russia and not with ones imported from the West. Commenting on the situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that all products used in Crimea made in Russia.