Canada to return Nord Stream turbines to Germany: Minister

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
10 Jul 2022 17:39
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Ottawa has agreed to temporarily lift some sanctions in exchange for the return of the Nord Stream 1 Siemens turbines owned by Gazprom to Germany.

Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson

Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said, on Sunday, that the Nord Stream 1 turbines that Siemens sent to Canada for maintenance will be returned to Germany, and not Russia, due to the sanctions imposed on the latter.

In a tweet, Wilkinson said, "Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nordstream 1 turbines to Germany, supporting Europe’s ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas."

5:26am
Canada to release Nord Stream 1 turbine to Germany.

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced on July 9 that Canada will return a repaired Russian turbine to Germany that Russia considers necessary for the supply of natural gas to Europe.
— Sandra Robinson (@ElfieRobinson) July 10, 2022

Wilkinson added that the German economy would have suffered "significant hardship" if Russian gas supplies had been limited and that heating would have become unaffordable for many during the cold months.

Furthermore, the Minister emphasized that this decision was made in consultation with Germany, Ukraine, the European Commission, and the International Energy Agency, claiming that "Canada stands with Ukraine" and will continue to apply sanctions against Russia for its special military operation.

Due to technical issues at the Portovaya compressor station, where only three gas compressor units were operational after Germany's Siemens delayed maintenance work, Russia's energy giant Gazprom significantly reduced gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in mid-June.

It is worth noting that Moscow has repeatedly warned that further maintenance delays could result in a complete shutdown of gas flows via the pipeline network.

Ottawa initially refused to return the turbines, citing Russian sanctions. Simultaneously, German Energy Minister Robert Habeck urged Canada to hand over the turbine to Germany rather than Russia in order to avoid legal action.