Baltic Sea pipeline gets construction permits in Germany

Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary of Gazprom and the operator of the Nord Stream 2 project, has received a permit for the construction and operation of the pipeline system in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Nord Stream 2 AG said on Tuesday that the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH) issued the permit for the 30-kilometer-long route section in accordance with the Federal Mining Act.

The Stralsund Mining Authority previously approved the construction and operation in German territorial waters (within 12 nautical miles) and the landfall area back in January.

Jens Lange, permitting manager for Germany at Nord Stream 2 AG, said: “We are pleased that all necessary permits are now in place for the German route section, which has an overall length of 85 kilometers.”

The company added that the permits were a result of an extensive process carried out in accordance with national law since April 2017.

According to Nord Stream 2, the national permitting procedures in the other four countries along the route – Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark – are proceeding as planned.

“Further permits are expected to be issued in the coming months. Accordingly, scheduled construction works are to be implemented in 2018 as planned,” the company said.

The two 1,200-km Nord Stream 2 pipelines will mostly follow the route of the existing Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea – from the coast of Russia to Greifswald on Germany’s northern coast. The project will have the capacity to transport up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia to Europe, connecting with pipelines within the European Union for onwards transmission.