Swiss project developer Nord Stream 2 AG has this week submitted to the competent permit authorities applications for two permits to construct the planned twin 1,200-kilometre Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines through the Baltic Sea in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The pipeline will run 374 kilometres across the Finnish EEZ, which is in international waters.
An EEZ permit application was submitted to the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on Monday for a permit to use the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The permit requires the Government’s consent. A water permit required for construction and operation of the pipeline in Finnish waters was submitted to the competent authority on Tuesday.
In Finland, permitting procedure follows the environmental impact assessment procedure (EIA), which is a pre-requisite for proceeding to permitting phase. EIA phase was completed in July when the coordinating authority acknowledged the EIA report to be sufficient.
Permit procedures are also ongoing in the other countries, through whose waters the pipeline will pass (in Russia, Sweden, Denmark and Germany).
About Nord Stream 2
Nord Stream 2 is a planned pipeline through the Baltic Sea, which will transport natural gas over 1,200 km from the world’s largest gas reserves in Russia via the most efficient route to consumers in Europe. Nord Stream 2 will largely follow the route and design of the successful Nord Stream Pipeline. With Europe’s domestic gas production projected to halve in the next 20 years, Nord Stream 2’s twin pipeline system will help Europe to meet its future gas import needs. It has the capacity to transport 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year, enough to supply 26 million European households.
This secure supply of natural gas, with its low CO2 emissions, will also contribute to Europe’s objective to have a more climate-friendly energy mix with gas substituting for coal in power generation and providing back-up for intermittent renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power.
Nord Stream 2 builds on the successful experience of construction and operation of the Nord Stream gas pipeline (2012 – to present). Already during construction, Nord Stream was recognised as a benchmark project in terms of compliance with stringent industrial and environmental safety requirements as well as stakeholder engagement. This gas pipeline has become a symbol of mutually beneficial international cooperation and a key element of the European energy security. The results of annual monitoring show that the environmental impact caused by the construction and operation of Nord Stream was minor, local and short term only and, in some cases, considerably lower than predicted by the original environmental impact assessments.
The Nord Stream 2 project was initiated by PJSC Gazprom and is supported by a number of leading international energy companies Uniper SE and BASF SE/Wintershall Holding GmbH (Germany),
Royal Dutch Shell plc (the UK and the Netherlands), OMV AG (Austria) and Engie S.A. (France).