"On July 15, Gazprom officially asked Siemens to provide documents that, given the current Canadian and European Union sanctions regimes, would allow the export of the gas turbine engine to Russia for the Portovaya CS, a critical facility for the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and the fulfillment by Siemens Group of its obligations in the repair and maintenance of gas turbine engines," the company on Telegram on Saturday.
The Nord Stream gas pipeline in the German town of Lubmin.
© Sputnik / Grigory Sysoev
/ Gazprom stressed its hopes on "unconditional" fulfillment of maintenance obligations by Siemens, necessary for the unhindered operation of the Nord Stream pipeline and gas deliveries to Europe.
On Wednesday, Gazprom said it had no documents that could allow Siemens to have the gas turbine engine for the Portovaya CS returned from Canada, where it had been sent for repairs and then stranded due to sanctions on Russia following the start of the special military operation in Ukraine. Ottawa initially refused to send the turbines back, citing sanctions against Moscow, but German Energy Minister Robert Habeck urged Canada to hand over the turbine to Berlin instead of Russia to avoid legal issues and Canada decided to bypass its own sanctions.
The delay resulted in the German side postponing maintenance work on the pipeline, which has already caused significant concerns amid skyrocketing gas prices in Europe. Moscow also warned that further delays in the maintenance could lead to a total halt in the supply of natural gas via Nord Stream 1.