Scholz, who took over from Angela Merkel last December, is expected to land in Montreal on Sunday night for a three-day visit that also includes scheduled stops in Toronto and Stephenville, NL. He will be accompanied by Vice Chancellor Robert Hambeck, who is responsible for the country’s energy portfolio. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the visit will advance shared priorities between Canada and Germany “including our unwavering support for Ukraine, protecting peace and security in Europe and around the world, and addressing the broader global implications of of Russia’s illegal and unjustified invasion. “ Ukraine criticized Trudeau and his government for deciding last month to agree to a request by Germany to exempt Siemens Canada from sanctions against Russia so it could return a turbine for use on the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in Germany. The turbine was under repair at the Siemens facility in Montreal, the only location in the world that can maintain the equipment. It was handed over to Germany and was supposed to go to Russia from there, but the Russian authorities have so far refused to accept it.
Russia has not restored supply to normal levels
Russia has also cut gas flows through the pipeline to 20 percent of capacity and recently announced it would shut down the line completely for three days at the end of the month, citing the need for unscheduled maintenance. Canada’s license also allows Siemens to import, repair and return five other turbines used on Nord Stream 1, according to their maintenance schedule, and is valid until the end of 2024. Ministers defended the move as necessary to secure gas supplies to Germany, as well as calling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bluff. In an interview, Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada, Yulia Kovalev, again called for the cancellation of the resignation. He said it was clear that Russia would not accept the turbine delivered by Siemens to Germany and accused Russia of using gas supplies as a way to terrorize Europe. Ukrainian supporters are holding a rally in Ottawa on July 17 to protest the Canadian government’s decision to send repaired sections of a Russian gas pipeline back to Germany. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) “Our position is quite clear: we believe that this resignation should be canceled now,” he said. “If it was an argument to call Putin’s bluff, everyone has seen in recent weeks that it is now obvious that these are Russian games.” Orest Zakydalsky of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress said the chancellor’s visit “will be an opportunity for them to reverse the policy and cancel the permit.” Canadian ministers argue that the Kremlin would have used Canada’s refusal to return the turbine to blame sanctions for energy shortages in Europe, which could undermine public support for Ukraine. Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said in an interview that Canada will continue to “evaluate” its decision to allow the return of the turbine to Gazprom, the Russian state energy giant that operates Nord Stream 1. “It was obviously a difficult decision and we made it based on our belief that not sending the turbine back would give Putin an excuse,” he said. WATCHES | Prime Minister Trudeau defends the decision to return the main turbine:
Trudeau defends decision to return gas turbines to Germany
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the decision to return the turbines does not affect Canada’s support for Ukraine. “It would potentially have the effect of undermining the support that Ukraine enjoys from some of the European populations.” Wilkinson said he now feels Russia’s position has been exposed and there is increasing pressure on Gazprom and the Russian government. “Our expectation and our hope is that the turbine will return to Gazprom and eventually be commissioned.” Wilkinson said the government stood by its decision and believed it was too early to consider changing its exemption, but said he would see how the situation developed in the coming months. “Obviously we will continue to have a dialogue with our European partners and our German partners,” he said.
An agreement is expected on hydrogen
Scholz and Trudeau plan to discuss energy security and the clean energy transition, “including secure access to key resources such as clean hydrogen and critical minerals,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office. In Stephenville, the leaders are expected to sign a deal that will set aggressive timetables and targets for Germany’s hydrogen exports, although some experts warn that the agreement will serve as only a small, distant and expensive part of the solution to Europe’s energy crisis. . A four-partner consortium calling itself World Energy GH2 plans to build a zero-emissions plant in the Newfoundland community that will use wind power to produce hydrogen and ammonia for export. If approved, the project would be the first of its kind in Canada. The consortium said the first phase of the proposal calls for the construction of up to 164 onshore wind turbines to power a hydrogen production facility in a deep-water port. Long-term plans call for tripling the size of the project. Scholz also received a message of support from Ukrainian state gas company Naftogaz over Germany’s bid to use Canadian gas to ease its dependence on Russian fuel. Both Canadian and German officials, however, acknowledge that redirecting Canadian supplies to Germany is a significant challenge.
