FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Siemens Energy, which carries out repair work on turbines used to pump gas through Nord Stream 1, said on Thursday there was no news to report on the maintenance or potential maintenance of equipment linked to the pipeline.
Canada's Foreign Affairs minister Melanie Joly in a report was quoted by broadcaster CBC News on Wednesday as saying Ottawa would stick to a sanctions waiver allowing turbines to be returned to Russia via Germany after servicing.
The turbines needed to ensure the smooth transport of gas have had gas markets on red alert for weeks as fear mounts in the West that Russia will completely cut off supplies to Europe during the peak demand winter months.
Russia's Gazprom (MCX:GAZP) has cited faulty or delayed equipment as the main reason for a reduction of deliveries via Nord Stream, which is running at a fifth of its total capacity.
Germany has said this is a pretext and that Moscow is using gas as a weapon to drive up prices and weaken the European Union's resolve over sanctions. Russia denies this and says Western sanctions are the reason for high gas prices.
"The announcement by the Canadian Foreign Minister is confirmation of the exemption granted by the Canadian government in July for the transport of a total of six turbines for the Nordstream 1 pipeline to Germany," Siemens Energy said.
It added one of the turbines had already been in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany, for several weeks after undergoing maintenance at its site in Montreal.
Gazprom plans maintenance at the Portovaya compressor station from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, which will halt flows along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that links Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea.
Germany, which heavily relies on Russian gas, fears that flows could be disrupted for longer after reduced supplies have sent already high energy prices soaring and prompted countries across Europe to roll out emergency energy-saving plans.
Gazprom, in a statement posted on Telegram, said none of the turbines for the Portovaya compressor station was under repair in Canada.