They installed it and then they took the pipeline down for planned maintenance.

it's a little rich to accuse them of playing games with gas after the stunt Canada pulled and most especially after a western partner subsequently blew up the pipeline and blamed it on Russia.

Clearly certain western allies decided that Germany couldnt be trusted to make its own decisions about where Germany gets its energy.

They reopened the pipeline after the planned maintenance. Then they said there was another issue and suspended supply indefinitely, and then the pipeline got destroyed.

Prices going up 1000%? Time for maintenance!

If you want to see their approach to maintenance while prices and needs are high, watch them put oil refineries back in operation days after drone hits.