Nord Stream 2 starts offshore preparatory pipelay works in Germany

Nord Stream 2 AG today started the offshore preparatory works for the subsequent pipelaying in the Bay of Greifswald. Five dredgers are now working on the trench for the two pipeline strings. “We ask all users of the Bay of Greifswald to inform themselves in advance via the official notice to mariners in the interest of their own safety,” said Georg Nowack, Construction Manager at Nord Stream 2 AG. “We have published an information flyer, which is available from marinas, the coast guard and on our website.”

All ongoing works are being carried out based on the planning approval for the construction and operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in German territorial waters and at the landfall facilities, which was issued by the Stralsund Mining Authority on January 31, 2018.

Contrary to NABU’s claims, this approval is the result of a flawless planning and consultation process, which already started in April 2017 and has shown that the pipeline:

• is needed to cover a part of Europe’s future natural gas supply gap;
• will contribute to increasing security of supply and competition in the EU gas market;
• is the most efficient way, both economically and ecologically, to transport gas from the world’s largest reserves to consumers in Germany and Central Europe;
• can be built in an environmentally friendly way, with impacts being only local and temporary;
• can help achieve climate goals, as gas-fired power generation only emits half as much CO₂ as coal-fired power generation.

In addition to Germany, Finland has also granted all the necessary permits for construction and operation. Offshore preparatory works have also started in Finland.

The national permitting procedures in the other three countries along the route – Russia, 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.