The Canadian government says it will allow Germany to return controversial turbines being repaired in Canada to Russia’s Gazprom, which has blamed the turbines for its decision to halve gas flow.
Turbines from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline had been sent to Montreal for a scheduled overhaul, but their return has been complicated by sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Germany has pressured Canada to allow it to return the turbines to Russia despite sanctions and Russia’s continued attack on Ukraine.
Canada’s natural resources minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, said in a statement late Saturday that “Canada will grant a limited-time, revocable permit to Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany.”
That, Wilkinson said in the statement posted on Twitter, will support “Europe’s ability to access reliable and affordable energy as the transition away from Russian oil and gas continues.”
He said that “in the absence of a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant difficulties.”
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Siemens Energy said after Gazprom began cutting gas flows in mid-June that it had been unable to return a gas turbine powering a compressor station on the pipeline, which had been repaired after more than 10 years in service, to the client, Gazprom.
German politicians have rejected the Russian explanation for the 60 percent reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1, saying equipment should not have been a major problem until the fall and that the Russian decision was a political ploy. to sow uncertainty and drive up prices. .
“We must not delude ourselves: the gas supply cut-off is an economic attack on us by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement last month, and added that the Germans would have to reduce consumption.
It is to be hoped that gasoline rationing will be avoided, but it cannot be ruled out, said Habeck, warning:
“From now on, gas is a scarce commodity in Germany… Therefore, we are now obliged to reduce gas consumption, already in summer.”
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The Canadian move comes before Nord Stream 1 closes for annual maintenance on Monday.
In previous summers, the work led to a shutdown of about 10 days, but German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said he suspects Russia might cite “some little technical detail” as a reason not to resume gas deliveries.
The reduction in gas flows comes as Germany and the rest of Europe try to reduce their dependence on Russian energy imports. Germany, which has Europe’s largest economy, gets about 35 percent of its gas to power industry and generate electricity from Russia.
Last month, Habeck activated the second phase of Germany’s three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, warning that Europe’s largest economy was facing a “crisis” and winter storage targets were at risk. .
With a Reuters file.
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