The turbine SGT-A35, essential for the Nord Stream pipeline’s full operation and the Portovaya pumping station, is currently reported as being in Germany, according to observations shared by the German broadcaster NTV. On Wednesday, August 3, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is scheduled to visit Siemens Energy’s production facility in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Westphalia, to inspect the turbine up close. An invitation excerpt from Siemens Energy, cited by Reuters, notes that Scholz, accompanied by Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch, will oversee a turbine that has undergone servicing in Canada and is prepared for transport to Russia for the Nord Stream project. These remarks were part of a broader briefing on the turbine’s status and logistics.
Earlier in August, a German government spokesperson declined to reveal the turbine’s exact location, stating that while the turbine is in place, its precise position is not known. This uncertainty reflects the sensitive nature of the equipment and the broader geopolitical and supply-chain considerations intertwined with its operation. After a planned maintenance pause, Siemens Energy and its partners resumed activity on July 21. Before the repair work, pumping operations were running at roughly 40 percent of the pipeline’s daily capacity, which equates to about 170 million cubic meters per day in June. Since July 27, Nord Stream has operated at around 20 percent of its maximum capacity due to the shutdown of another turbine, with Gazprom outlining a constraint on delivery times for gas pumping units (GCUs) that are sent abroad for repair. As cited by Gazprom, only one GCU and a hot reserve of the same capacity are currently functional, a situation linked in part to Siemens-made motors rated at 54 megawatts each.
European lawmakers and analysts have repeatedly suggested that the root cause of reduced Russian gas deliveries may lie outside turbine equipment itself. On June 15, Steffen Hebestreit, a German government spokesperson, reiterated that Chancellor Scholz accepted the assessment of Economy Minister Robert Habeck regarding the reduction in gas flow through Nord Stream. Habeck had described the causes as politically influenced rather than purely technical. Scholz’s office aligned with this view, indicating that the Chancellor is following the economy ministry’s analysis on the matter. In contrast, Russian officials have emphasized technical explanations for the turbine issues, though some reports point to sanctions affecting transportation and return of equipment. The Kremlin has publicly framed the turbine’s stoppage in the context of Canada’s sanctions policy, suggesting that sanctions impede the return of repaired equipment from Canada to Germany. A representative of Gazprom has asserted that the turbine’s reach and function are contingent on Canada’s decisions, while noting that Siemens Energy procured a component in Canada that was later repaired in Montreal. The sequence of events included Ottawa’s sanctions stance, which initially hindered the delivery of the repaired turbine before German authorities pressed for a resolution.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the President of Russia, stated that he did not know the turbine’s exact location and called for information to be communicated to Gazprom. Reuters reported on July 21 that the return of the turbine could take several days or even weeks, with the timing remaining uncertain. The agency suggested that the turbine’s journey to Germany had faced delays attributed to Russian concerns about its transportation back, amidst a broader dispute over sanctions and supplies. The evolving narrative around the turbine underscores the interplay between technical maintenance needs and political dynamics affecting energy infrastructure in Europe. The situation continues to be watched closely by policy makers and industry observers as the Nord Stream project remains a focal point of energy security discussions between Europe, North America, and Russia. Attribution: Reuters. The developments illustrate how a single turbine can become a nexus for discussions about sanctions, supply reliability, and strategic energy planning across multiple jurisdictions.