Canada decides to return turbine for Nord Stream 1 to Germany

WASHINGTON. July 11 (Interfax) - Canada has agreed to send to Germany the Siemens-manufactured gas turbine, which was being repaired in Montreal, and is owned by Gazprom for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said in a statement.

"Canada will provide Siemens Canada with a time-limited and revocable authorization to return the repaired turbines for Nord Stream 1 to Germany," the minister said, noting that permission to export the turbine was issued after extensive discussions with "European friends and allies", as well as with the International Energy Agency (IEA).

German officials reportedly urged Canada to find a way to return the sanctioned turbine, fearing that Russia could stop the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline under this pretext and prevent Germany from filling its gas storage facilities prior to winter.

Robert Habeck, German Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, told Bloomberg earlier that, "We need Nord Stream 1 capacity in order to fill our storage facilities. Filled storage facilities in Germany are important not only for the German market, but also for the European market, and for the security of European supplies."

"I would be the first to support further tough EU sanctions; however, tough sanctions should hurt Russia and Putin more than our economy. If this is a legal issue for Canada, then I want to make it clear that I am asking to deliver the turbine to Germany, not to Russia," the minister added.

The turbine, built in Canada by Siemens Energy AG, was sent to Montreal for repairs. The Canadian authorities then refused to return the turbine in connection with the sanctions imposed against Russia and the Russian oil and gas industry.

Gazprom on June 15 announced that it was forced to halt the operation of another Siemens gas turbine engine on the Nord Stream gas pipeline owing to the expiration of the time between overhauls before major maintenance and repairs. Consequently, pumping from the night of June 16 should have decreased by another one third to 67 million cubic meters per day.