In the midst of the gas crisis, Gazprom shut down the entire Nord Stream 1 pipeline on July 11: maintenance work! At least that’s the official reason given by Russian Gas.
The Russian pipeline is scheduled to restart on July 21. Sticking point: A critical turbine in the pipeline was sent to Canada weeks ago for maintenance.
It has been stuck there ever since as Canada’s Russia sanctions did not allow it to return to Russia.
Gazprom officially questions whether gas will flow again after the maintenance period because: According to the Russian gas companies, nothing would work without the missing turbine.
According to the group controlled by dictator Vladimir Putin (69), it is “difficult” (…) to provide objective assessments of how the situation will continue to evolve with the safe operation of the Bordovaya compressor station.
And: Nord Stream ran smoothly for 1 week – even without a turbine.
The German government hopes that Gazprom will find an excuse not to continue supplying Germany with gas. “Although, in our opinion, this is only an excuse from Russia, we still have to try everything to remove this excuse from Russia,” Robert Habeck, a spokesman for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, told BILD when asked.
Nord Stream 1 may be this type of turbine, but the exact model is unknown
The turbine may come to Russia via Germany
Direct return to Russia from Canada is not possible due to economic sanctions. However, on a detour through Germany, it will work. Because: Gas is currently not allowed in the EU.
“Minister Habeck asked the Canadian government to deliver the turbine to Germany in order to make it available for exemption from Canada’s delivery to Germany. We therefore welcome the Canadian government’s decision to grant an exemption from deportation from Canada to Germany,” said a spokesperson for Habeck’s ministry.
The spokesman emphasized that Germany wants to bring the turbine to Russia as soon as possible. “Exports of gas turbines from Canada to Germany and from Germany to Russia are subject to European sanctions.”
However, as for the concrete implementation of the export of the turbine – first to Germany and then to Russia – according to BILD information, there are still big problems.
Less interest in return traffic
▶︎ Gazprom There is currently no interest in returning the officially company-owned turbine. In a statement, Gazprom said it had “no documents” to export the turbine to Germany, expressed concern and said it was powerless.
▶︎ Further Canada The gas turbine is not really ready to leave the country. The reason: intense pressure from the Ukrainian government. They have been trying to block the export for days and have even summoned the Canadian ambassador in Kiev.
▶︎ Even the speaker Siemens Energy, at whose factory the turbine is currently in service in Canada, could not provide BILD with a timeframe for the return of the gas turbine. “Our experts are currently working flat out on all other formal approvals and logistics; this includes, among other things, processes subject to export and import controls.”
▶︎ In addition, according to BILD information, there is a lot Practical problemsTo speed the turbine across the Atlantic Ocean. This would require a transport aircraft, which, due to external pressure, is not currently available from the central government or Siemens.
When asked by BILD, Siemens Energy said: “Our goal is to get the turbine to its point of use as quickly as possible.” However, when and how the transport will actually happen, neither the Union Ministry of Economy nor Siemens wants to. Tell the build when asked.
So now the turbine is stuck in Canada.
Although the turbine will eventually land in Russia via Germany, it is not entirely clear whether Nord Stream 1 will be restarted.
Can Putin even afford a permanent shutdown?
Due to higher gas prices, Russia earned more money from exports in the first half of 2022 than a year earlier. This gives Kremlin tyrant Putin a small financial buffer.
“But he especially needs exports of raw materials, mainly energy resources and metals, which account for 40 percent of Russia’s economic income. It’s a poker game. Does Putin think people will be on the streets in two months because of the gas crisis in Germany?” Ukraine expert Sergej Sumleny, former head of the Heinrich Paul Foundation in Kyiv, told BILD.
► Putin’s goal is not to make as much money as possible, but to “be in control of the central government. (…) He sees a lack of energy that could cause a crisis to shake our entire economy.
Economically, Putin’s permanent shutdown of Nord Stream 1 would be a risky move. But a political crisis in Germany seems worth it to him.
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