Russia's Gazprom: sanctions make delivery of Nord Stream turbine impossible

Canadian, EU and UK sanctions make delivery of a Siemens turbine to the Nord Stream 1 pipeline's Portovaya compressor station impossible, Russia's Gazprom said on August 3.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had earlier said the Siemens 073 turbine, which has been cited as being at the heart of reduced Russian gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, remains in Germany after maintenance, according to Reuters. 

"The sanctions regimes of Canada, the EU, the UK and a mismatch of the current situation with the existing contractual obligations by the Siemens side make delivery of the 073 engine to the Portovaya compressor station impossible," Gazprom said.

The Russian energy giant has cut the flows to only a fifth of the pipeline's capacity, citing technical issues and a need for repair of the pipeline turbines.

Chancellor Scholz on August 3 said Russia had no reason to hold up the return of the Nord Stream 1 turbine that had been serviced in Canada but has since been stranded in Germany in an escalating energy standoff.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pushed back against Scholz's remarks on Wednesday, blaming a lack of documentation for holding up the turbine's return to Russia.