Russian energy projects, such as the Turkish Stream and both Nord Stream, are aimed at strengthening the energy security of Europe, as they “remove transit risks” and “diversify the supply routes” of fuel. This was announced at the plenary meeting of the forum "Russian Energy Week" by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The head of state stressed that the construction of pipelines is carried out jointly with European companies and is purely commercial in nature without any political motive.

“That’s why the logic of normal business relations takes up over attempts to make energy a hostage of political differences,” Putin added.

The Russian leader also assessed the situation with the delay in obtaining permission to build the Nord Stream 2 from Copenhagen.

“Denmark is a small country, it is subjected to strong pressure, it depends on it whether it can show its independence and show that it has sovereignty or not. If not, there are other routes, it will be more expensive and put us off a little bit, but the project will be implemented, ”Putin emphasized.

  • Vladimir Putin speaks at the Third Russian Energy Week 2019 International Forum on Energy Efficiency and Energy Development
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  • © Ilya Pitalev

According to Energy Minister Alexander Novak, the Russian side does not see the reasons why Copenhagen may eventually refuse to issue a permit for the construction of the Nord Stream-2 main pipeline, and expects to maintain the original route.

“The project is being implemented, we are waiting for the decision of the Kingdom of Denmark to issue a permit. It is clear that there are other different options in the absence of such permission. It’s just that this project will be a little more expensive and will take a little longer to implement, ”Novak said at a session of Russian Energy Week.

He also noted that many countries are supporting Nord Stream 2.

“This is really, I repeat once again, a long-term project for many years that will ensure reliable supplies of energy resources to the European Union,” the head of the Ministry of Energy added.

At the same time, the head of Gazprom’s board of directors, Viktor Zubkov, indicated that the Danish side had not been considering applications for two years, and all permits were received during the construction of Nord Stream 1. Both projects have a similar route, he added.

“It is clear that this is a purely geopolitical situation related to the fact that the United States of America wants to replace part of our Russian gas with its own LNG,” Zubkov said.

According to him, the implementation of the construction of Nord Stream 2 is still on time, since it will take four to five weeks to work in the territorial waters of Denmark. Meanwhile, consideration is being given to workarounds.

“We will bypass through neutral waters ... It’s not great to give such hooks somewhere in one place closer to Denmark,” the head of Gazprom’s board of directors explained.

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  • © Sergey Guneev

The Nord Stream 2 project consists of two strands of a gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, which are bypassed transit states through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. The highway with a total length of both lines of about 2,400 km is planned to be commissioned before the end of 2019. The project cost is approximately € 9.5 billion. In addition to Gazprom, five West European energy companies - Engie, Shell, OMV, Uniper and Wintershall - participate in its implementation. The share of financing of each of them is 10%.

As of October 1, 2042 km of the gas pipeline were laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea - 83% of its total length.

“The operator of Nord Stream 2 may go to court”

Colossal pressure is being put on Denmark by the United States on the issue of permitting the construction of Nord Stream 2, Igor Yushkov, a leading expert at the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Russian government, said in an interview with RT.

“There is a coalition against this project. The Danes were forced to pass a law stating that they are considering applications for the construction of a gas pipeline not only in terms of environmental damage, but also threats to national security. They accepted him under pressure from the United States. And now their task is to say neither yes nor no. I think that the operator of Nord Stream 2 can generally go to court and say that this is an unreasonable delay in this process. The Danes have no real grounds for refusal, ”the expert said.

In turn, the director of the National Energy Institute, Sergei Pravosudov, also indicated that the Danish side could not refuse.

“Everyone understands perfectly well that they cannot say no, because for several years the similar Nord Stream 1 has been operating. They drag out the decision, but it is infinitely impossible to drag out time, sooner or later some answer will be. On the other hand, it is clear that the project will be implemented, since when it is built at 80%, it is no longer possible to stop it, ”explained the interlocutor of RT.