Energy | Canada to return controversial Nord Stream gas pipeline turbine to Germany, despite Ukrainian opposition

Canada to return Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline turbine to Germany subject to anti-Russian sanctions, news agencies Bloomberg and AFP report.

The turbine, made by Germany’s Siemens, has been in Canada for maintenance, and was stuck due to sanctions on Russia’s oil and gas industry.

Canada made the decision to return the turbine despite the fact that the Ukrainian administration has opposed the return of the turbine. According to Ukraine, it would weaken the sanctions against Russia.

Bloomberg’s according to Canada has granted a temporary and revocable permit to exempt the turbine from sanctions on the Russian oil and gas industry.

In a statement released on Saturday, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said the export permit for the turbine was granted after the country had extensive discussions with “our European friends and allies” and the International Energy Agency with.

“Canada grants Siemens Canada a temporary and revocable permit to return the repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany,” Wilkinson said in a statement.

“The German economy is suffering significant difficulties due to the lack of natural gas, and there is a risk that Germans will not be able to heat their homes as winter approaches.”

Russian state gas company Gazprom has significantly restricted gas supplies to Germany via the Nord Stream gas pipeline in recent weeks.

Germany’s Uniper, which is Europe’s largest buyer of Russian natural gas, has said that Gazprom has supplied it with only 40 percent of the gas it should have according to its contracts since mid-June.

Germany has considered the decline in gas flows to be political. German officials have also urged Canada to find a way to return the turbine. Germany has feared that Russia will use the missing turbine as an excuse to completely shut down the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

According to the Reuters news agency, the Kremlin said on Friday that it would increase gas supplies to Europe if the turbine was returned.

Reuters already reported on Friday that the German state had received a “positive signal” from Canada about returning the turbine. According to Reuters sources, the turbine would first be sent to Germany, from where it would be further delivered to Gazprom. That way, Canada would not violate the sanctions.

Nord Stream – the gas pipeline will be closed on Monday for ten days due to maintenance work.

In Europe, it has been feared that Russia will not open the gas pipeline at all after the maintenance work.

According to Reuters, the French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday that a cut-off in Russian gas supplies is currently the most likely scenario.

“Let’s get ready to cut off Russian gas,” he said at a business and economic conference in the south of France.