Siemens Energy hands Gazprom documentation for transport of Nord Stream 1 turbine -media

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Siemens Energy handed over Canadian documentation to Russian gas giant Gazprom on Sunday which would allow the transport of turbines for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported.

Nord Stream 1, which runs on the bed of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, resumed pumping gas on Thursday after a 10-day maintenance shutdown, but at only 40% of its capacity.

Gazprom said on Friday that it still had not obtained necessary documentation from Siemens Energy confirming the exemption from European Union and Canadian sanctions for a key turbine for the pipeline to be returned to Nord Stream’s Portovaya compressor station. The turbine had been sent to Canada for repairs.

Kommersant, without citing sources, said that due to a lack of necessary papers, the turbine, which has been on its way from Canada back to Russia, missed a ferry from Germany to Helsinki on Saturday.

It said the turbine may be delivered in the next few days if Siemens Energy and Gazprom exchange the necessary documentation.

Kommersant also said that the delivery of the turbine may not result in an increase of gas supplies via Nord Stream 1 as several units are due to be repaired at the Portovaya compressor station.

Siemens Energy declined to comment, Gazprom has not replied to repeated requests for comment.

Gazprom cut the flows from Nord Stream 1 in June, saying it could not get the turbine back from Canada. Germany, in turn, has said that the turbine in question was meant to be used in September only.

On Thursday, two people familiar with the matter said the turbine was stuck in transit in Germany because Russia had not yet given the go-ahead to transport it back.

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt, Reuters bureaus; Editing by Susan Fenton)