Canada To Return Nord Stream Turbines To Germany - Natural Resources Minister

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2022) Ottawa will return to Germany the Nord Stream 1 turbines that Siemens sent to Canada for maintenance, stranded in the country due to sanctions on Russia, Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said on Sunday.

"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," Wilkinson said on Twitter.

Wilkinson claimed that the German economy may have otherwise suffered "very significant hardship" and heating may have become unaffordable for many in the cold months due to limited supply of Russian gas.

The minister stressed that this decision was taken in coordination with Germany, Ukraine, the European Commission and the International Energy Agency, adding that "Canada stands with Ukraine" and will continue pressuring Russia with sanctions over its special military operation in Ukraine.

In mid-June, Russia's energy giant Gazprom significantly cut gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline due to technical issues at the Portovaya compressor station, where only three gas compressor units were functioning after Germany's Siemens delayed maintenance works. Moscow repeatedly warned that further delays in the maintenance could lead to a total halt of supplying gas flows via the pipeline network to Europe.

Ottawa initially refused to send the turbines back citing sanctions against Russia. German Energy Minister Robert�Habeck urged Canada to hand over the turbine to Germany instead of Russia to avoid legal issues.