INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Canada has returned to Russia a repaired turbine for gas deliveries to Europe after weeks of uncertainty over sanctions and scaled-down
supplies, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday.With Russian gas flows to Europe declining since Russia invaded Ukraine in February
and triggered Western sanctions, Canada has recently agreed to allow the return of the Siemens Canada turbine to Russian energy giant
around July 24.After three to four days of installation, the gas pumping unit should be reportedly ready to release gas into the Nord Stream
pipeline in early August.Nord Stream typically supplies Germany with 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year since it was commissioned in
2012.Russia blamed the absence of the turbine for winding down gas supplies to Europe by 60% in mid-June.Last Monday, Gazprom started 10
days of maintenance on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which have been scheduled long in advance and are expected to resume on July 21.The
European Union and its gas-reliant economic powerhouse Germany, however, have expressed fears that Gazprom could shut off the valves without
resuming supplies amid tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine war.Canada returned the turbine two days after Gazprom
submitted an official request to Siemens to allow its export to the Portovaya station.
