The German newspaper Handelsblatt recalled that earlier pipelines were sometimes put into operation before the certification procedure - for example, projects NEL and EGL 401. The Federal Network Agency (BNA) calculated that under these conditions the fine would amount to "no more than a million euros."
“This amount looks acceptable.
Investments in the construction of Nord Stream 2 are no less than € 10 billion, ”the publication says.
The authors of the material suggested that such a scenario could be tempting for the operator in the face of increased gas prices.
“Thanks to this, Gazprom will save on payments for gas transit through Ukraine,” the journalists concluded.
German Bundestag deputy Steffen Kotrets (Alternative for Germany) previously allowed the launch of Nord Stream 2 in April-May 2022.
In turn, the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, answering a question about the timing of the start of gas supplies via Nord Stream 2, taking into account the suspension of certification, urged not to guess.