Amid the gas crisis, Gazprom shuts down the entire Nord Stream 1 pipeline on July 11: maintenance work! At least that’s the official reason given by the Russian gas giant.

The Russian tube is to be restarted on 21 July. Sticking Point: A critical turbine in the pipeline was sent to Canada for maintenance weeks ago.

It has been stuck there since Canada’s Russia sanctions do not allow it to be returned to Russia.

Gazprom also officially questions whether the gas will flow again after the maintenance period, because: according to the Russian gas giant, nothing will work without the missing turbine.

According to the group controlled by dictator Vladimir Putin (69), it is “complicated” to “give an objective assessment of how the situation will develop with the safe operation of the Portovaya compressor station (…).” The turbine basically comes from this station.

AND: Nord Stream 1 ran smoothly for weeks without turbines.

The German government believes that Gazprom is bluffing to find an excuse not to continue supplying gas to Germany. “Even though, in our opinion, this is only an excuse from Russia, we must do everything possible to remove this excuse from Russia,” a spokesman for Robert Hebek’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection told BILD. Said when asked.

Turbine may come to Russia via Germany

Direct return to Russia from Canada is not possible due to sanctions. With the detour through Germany, however, it would work. Because: Gas is not currently approved in the European Union.

“Minister Hebek asked the Canadian government to deliver turbines to Germany to enable an exemption from Canada with delivery to Germany. We therefore welcome the Government of Canada’s decision to grant exemptions for extradition from Canada to Germany, Hebek’s ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman emphasized that Germany wants to bring the turbine to Russia as soon as possible. “The export of gas turbines from Canada to Germany and from Germany to Russia is in line with European sanctions.”

However, as far as concrete implementation of the export of turbines is concerned – first to Germany and then to Russia – there are still major problems, according to BILD’s information.

less interest in return transport

I gazprom There is currently no interest in getting the turbine back, which is officially owned by the company. In a statement, Gazprom said it had “no documentation” to export turbines to Germany, said the concern and said it was powerless.

I Too Canada In fact the gas turbine doesn’t seem ready to go out of the country. Reason: Excessive pressure from the Ukrainian government. They have been trying to stop exports for several days and have even summoned the Canadian ambassador to Kyiv to do the same.

I In addition a spokesperson Siemens Energy, whose factory turbines are currently being serviced in Canada, was unable to give BILD a time horizon for the return of the gas turbines. “Our experts are currently working flat on all other formal approvals and logistics; This includes, among other things, procedures that are subject to export and import controls.”

Plus, according to BILD info, there’s a lot practical problemsTo move turbines faster across the Atlantic. This would require a transport aircraft which, possibly due to external pressure, is not currently available from either the federal government or Siemens.

When asked by BILD, Siemens Energy said: “Our goal is to get the turbine to its place of use as quickly as possible.” When and how the transport could actually happen, however, neither the federal economics ministry nor Siemens wanted. Tell BILD when asked.

So for now the turbine is stuck in Canada.

Even if the turbines eventually return to Russia via Germany, it is not entirely clear whether Nord Stream 1 will be rerouted.

Can Putin even tolerate a permanent shutdown?

Due to higher gas prices, Russia made more money from exports in the first half of 2022 than in the previous year. This gives Kremlin dictator Putin little financial buffer.

“But they especially need exports of raw materials, mainly energy sources and metals, which account for 40 percent of Russia’s economic revenue. It’s a poker game. Does Putin think people in Germany have a gas crisis? Why will you hit the streets in two months?” Ukraine expert Sergej Sumalny, former head of the Heinrich Boll Foundation in Kyiv, told BILD.

Putin’s goal is not to make as much money as possible, but to “keep the federal government under control. (…) He sees that energy shortages can cause a crisis of such proportion that our entire economy is shaking. “

Financially, it would be a risky move for Putin to permanently close Nord Stream 1. But a political crisis in Germany seems worth it to them.