Canada and Germany is said to have come to an agreement to return the Russian gas turbine seized in Canada due to the sanctions Canada imposed on Moscow following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Reuters reported that Germany on Friday confirmed that the government had received a positive signal from Canada regarding the delivery of a turbine needed for the maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany, but could not say that the turbine had been delivered.
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A Siemens gas turbine belonging to Russia’s Gazprom-affiliated Nord Stream AG has been held up in Canada after it underwent some servicing. The failure to return the turbine serviced by Germany’s Siemens Energy in Canada has forced Nord Stream AG to reduce the flow through the gas pipeline to 40% of capacity.
Nord Stream 1 is part of the Nord Stream a set of offshore natural gas pipelines in Europe that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. It runs from Vyborg in northwestern Russia, near Finland to Lubmin in the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
In a rigmarole move that is supposed to side step Canadian sanctions, the turbine will first be delivered to Germany, and then Germany will send it on to Gazprom.
The Kremlin on Friday said it would increase gas supplies to Europe if the turbine was returned.
Ukraine opposes Canada’s handing over the turbine to Gazprom and Kyiv believes such a move would flout sanctions on Russia, a Ukrainian energy ministry source said on Thursday.
Siemens Energy declined to comment on the news.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur