Nord Stream 2 could be repurposed for hydrogen and LNG, says Swiss StreamTec Solutions

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that connects Russia and Germany through the Baltic Sea suffered damage in September 2022 following an explosion. StreamTec Solutions, a company formed from the management team of the Nord Stream pipelines, has conducted research on the current condition of Nord Stream 2 as well as future options, noting it could be repurposed for hydrogen transport.

Nord Stream 2, whose construction was completed in 2021, consists of two parallel pipeline strings, each 1,230 kilometers long and with a diameter of 1.2 meters, routed through the Baltic Sea from Narva Bay in Russia to Lubmin in Germany.

Described as the longest and most powerful offshore gas pipeline ever built and designed to transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually, the pipeline was pressurized but had never transported gas from Russia to Germany.

Namely, on September 26, 2022, severe damage caused by explosives occurred on Line A of the gas pipeline in the Danish and Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Baltic Sea. At the same time, both Nord Stream 1 pipelines were ruptured by explosives.

Switzerland-based StreamTec Solutions has carried out a technical study of the current condition and additional options for the future use of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and compiled a report based on publicly available information.

The damage to Line A is not as severe as initially thought, while Line B is still intact and could be repurposed without repair.

Denmark last month granted permission to Nord Stream 2 AG to preserve the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

“Line A is ruptured at two locations near the island of Bornholm, approximately 80 kilometers apart. This string is now partly filled with water. However, more than 90% of the pipeline is not flooded and is still filled with natural gas at low pressure,” said Richard Taylor, Offshore Construction Manager and Partner at StreamTec Solutions.

“The corrosion inside the flooded pipeline sections is minimal and does not pose a threat to the pipeline’s integrity, mainly due to the very low levels of oxygen in the Baltic Sea at this depth and the water temperature being low enough to minimise microbial-induced corrosion.”

According to Taylor, it is technically feasible to repair Line A, with necessary tools, equipment, and expertise readily available. If a repurpose use case can be found, repairing the pipeline would cost significantly less than building a new one, besides the fact it is more environmentally friendly.

In terms of the potential future use of Nord Stream 2, one option could be repurposing for hydrogen transport, as the pipeline and its steel are suitable based on current knowledge, but also repurposing for importing LNG to Lubmin via an offshore regasification terminal or using it as a gas storage facility.

“Repair options are technically feasible, and there are several potential repurposing use cases that offer significant commercial advantages compared to building new infrastructure,” Taylor concluded.

“Careful attention needs to be paid to permitting obligations and the permit process for a change of use but these are likely manageable. These pipelines could play a crucial role in decarbonising Europe by providing clean, renewable energy with a relatively small environmental footprint for repurposing.”

StreamTec Solutions was formed from the management team of the Nord Stream 1 project which was completed in 2013. The seven founding partners of StreamTec Solutions later held similar positions in the Nord Stream 2 project, which is technically very similar to the first pipeline.

The company’s permitting, construction, and material experts collaborated on the report aiming to give more insights to governmental and private organizations who wish to explore the potential for repairing and repurposing the pipelines.

Nord Stream 1, built in 2012, also consists of two parallel strings of the same diameter and a similar length as the Nord Stream 2 lines, routed from Portovaya Bay in Russia in the northern Gulf of Finland to Lubmin.