Germany issues all permits for construction of Nord Stream 2
Nord Stream 2 AG received permission to build and operate the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline in Germany’s economic zone, reports Interfax-Ukraine.
“The Federal Office for Shipping and Hydrography issued a permit for the construction of a 30-kilometer section in accordance with the Mining Law of the Federal Republic of Germany,” the construction company reported.
Earlier, on January 31, the Stralsund Mining Authority authorized the construction and operation of the offshore section of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the territorial waters of Germany (within 12 nautical miles) and its land area.
Thus, all necessary permits for the German section – with a total length of 85 km – have been obtained.
“Procedures for obtaining permits in the other four countries along the pipeline route – Russia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark – are on schedule. Nord Stream 2 expects to receive the remaining permits in the coming months, before construction begins in 2018,” the report noted.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will pass through the Baltic Sea, connecting suppliers in Russia with consumers in Europe. Its total length will be more than 1,200 km. The capacity of the gas pipeline is estimated at 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The estimated cost of the project is almost 10 billion euros. Partner companies in the project are Gazprom, Engie, OMV, Shell, and two German companies - BASF and Uniper.
In November of last year, Denmark passed a law that would prohibit the construction of Nord Stream 2 through its territory. Poland is also opposed to the pipeline’s construction.
On March 21, the U.S. notified the companies working with Nord Stream 2 about the possibility of sanctions.