The construction of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is 75% complete. This was reported in the construction company Nord Stream 2 AG.

“1855 km of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline were laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea in the waters of Russia, Finland, Sweden and Germany. This is 75% of the total length of two threads. Thus, Nord Stream 2 AG proceeded to laying the final quarter of the gas pipeline, ”the company’s website says.

Work completed in the waters of Germany and Finland, added the press service. Moreover, on the coastal areas of Germany and Russia, construction is "at an advanced stage." All pipes intended for the gas pipeline are coated with a special weighting coating of concrete.

“During the summer, the last pipes to Hanko (Finland) and Karlshamna (Sweden) were delivered to pipe-laying vessels. Delivery of pipes from hubs in Kotka (Finland) and in Mukran (Germany) continues, ”emphasized Nord Stream 2 AG.

Recall that the total length of both strings of Nord Stream 2 is almost 2.5 thousand km. The total capacity of such a pipeline is 55 billion cubic meters. m of gas per year. In addition to the Russian Gazprom, five more European companies are participating in the project - Shell, OMV, Uniper, Ungie and Wintershall. Each of them finances 10%, and the total cost of Nord Stream 2 is € 9.5 billion.

“We are grateful to Finland for the pragmatic approach”

The fact that construction work was completed in the waters of Finland was announced on August 21 by Russian President Vladimir Putin. At a press conference following talks with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, he thanked Helsinki for his constructive position on the gas pipeline.

“We are grateful to Finland for the pragmatic approach to one of the major international European projects, Nord Stream 2.” I can inform you that work has been completed on the Finnish site, in the Finnish exclusive economic zone, on laying this pipeline system, ”Putin said.

The company on the same day said that the first string of the gas pipeline was completed back in April. At the same time, the environmental situation was monitored during the construction process, Nord Stream 2 AG emphasized.

“Monitoring of the environmental impact of construction in the Finnish EEZ is carried out in accordance with the Finnish environmental monitoring program. The results confirm that all observed effects were minimal, local and short-term, ”the company’s website says.

“This step is necessary”

It is worth noting that work is not carried out on only one site - Danish. Copenhagen still has not issued a pipe laying permit to the construction operator. At the same time, the company filed three applications on two different routes. The first of them passed through territorial waters, while the other two passed through the exclusive economic zone of Denmark. After more than two years of reviewing the first application, Nord Stream 2 AG decided to withdraw it.

“This step was necessary because more than two years after the filing of this application, the former Danish government did not demonstrate that a decision will be made,” said Mattias Warnig, Nord Stream 2 Executive Director.

According to international maritime law, if a gas pipeline does not violate the safety of navigation and does not threaten the environmental situation, then the authorities cannot refuse to build.

“Accordingly, with respect to these routes, the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is not required; a decision on consent along a specific route should be issued solely as a result of an open application review process in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In accordance with this Convention, the competent authorities are obliged to allow the laying of pipelines, subject to certain environmental requirements, as well as the safety of navigation, ”says the Nord Stream 2 AG website.

The Danish authorities are expected to issue a permit in October this year. This was told by a representative of the Board of Directors of Gazprom Viktor Zubkov. He noted that in this case, the construction falls within the declared time frame - the completion of work is scheduled for the end of 2019.

“It seems to me that around October they should give us approval, and then we can finish this extremely important project at the end of the year,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

A similar opinion is shared in the Austrian OMV. This was announced in early August by its head Rainer Seele.

“We expect that the first gas will go through this pipeline until 00:00 on December 31. We have not abandoned this plan, he said in an interview with Bloomberg. - I do not see any delays from the Danish authorities. As I believe, we are still keeping within the budget and deadlines. ”