The idle turbine spins controversies

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today blamed moscow for delays in the return of gas turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that had been serviced in Canada but has since been stranded in Germany in an escalating energy standoff, according to Reuters’ report on his visit to Siemens Energy in Muelheim an der Ruhr.

“It [the turbine] can be transported and used at any time,” Scholz was quoted as saying. “The non-fulfillment of the gas supply contracts has no technical reasons whatsoever,” the chancellor added.

European governments, which used to waft away warning that the kremlin would use its gas as a weapon, now accuse russia of throttling gas supplies on spurious pretexts in revenge for Western sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine. Moscow denies doing so and cites issues with the turbine as the reason for lower gas flows through Nord Stream 1. Moreover, russia’s Gazprom says that the delivery of the turbine to Germany from Canada after the maintenance work completion was not in line with the contract.

Ironically, it looks as if Moscow tried to abide by the sanctions imposed on it as the West were looking for ways to bypass them. Below is a concise chronology of the developments spinning around the idle turbine.

• June 20, 2022. Russia says it is willing to supply gas through Nord Stream in full but Europe has to return the repaired turbines.
• July 8, 2022. Moscow promises to increase the gas supply to Europe if the turbine will be returned.
• July 9, 2022. Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announces that the turbine, which undergoes maintenance at Siemens’ facilities in Canada, will be exempted from the sanctions imposed on russia and returned to Germany.
  The Ukrainian World Congress calls on Canada and the international community to maintain sanctions on russia’s pipelines: “By delivering this equipment to Gazprom, Canada will enable Germany to circumvent international sanctions rules by transferring to Germany equipment that is embargoed from being delivered to Gazprom.”
• July 10, 2022. Ottawa adopts the decision on the turbine.
  Ukraine’s Energy Ministry and Foreign Ministry put out a joint statement on the decision of Ottawa, saying that “this dangerous precedent goes against the rule of law principle and will have only one consequence – it will strengthen moscow’s sense of impunity”.
• July 11, 2022. The U.S. Department of State supports Canada’s decision to return the turbine to Germany as it “will allow Germany and other European countries to replenish their gas reserves, increasing their energy security and resiliency and countering Russia’s efforts to weaponize energy.”
• July 12, 2022. The Ukrainian World Congress together with Daniel Bilak, a Canadian citizen, practicing lawyer, and current resident of Ukraine, file a notice of application for judicial review of the decision in the Federal Court of Canada. The application requests a declaration that the decision to provide a permit to Siemens was unreasonable and unauthorized and an order quashing the permit.
• July 16, 2022. Gazprom requests documents to take the turbine out of Canada.
• July 25, 2022. Gazprom announces the shutdown of one more Siemens turbine for technical reasons.
• July 29, 2022. Gazprom accuses Siemens of allegedly rectifying no more than a quarter of faults identified in Nord Stream 1 turbines.