Denmark approves final section of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline

The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has approved Gazprom´s application for the final section of the EUR 9 billion (USD 10 billion) Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline which will transport natural gas from Russia to Germany, crossing the territorial waters of Russia, Denmark and Germany, along with the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

The Danish regulator was choosing between two routes - 147 km and 164 km long each. DEA finally has chosen the shortest route southeast of the Danish island Bornholm, since this route provides the least risk and environmental impact.

The process of obtaining the permit took more than two years. It started in April 2017. In Russia, Germany, Finland and Sweden, Gazprom not only obtained the permit but has practically built the 87% of the route. About 2100 km of twin pipeline was laid.

The Danish section of Nord Stream-2 will take five weeks to build. Gazprom hopes to complete the project on schedule. The originally planned date of completion was the end of 2019. Nord Stream 2 consortium, which consists of Uniper, Wintershall DEA, Shell, OMV and Engie, said it would work to complete the project in the coming months, but did not specify the exact timeline. The construction of the Danish section will be able to start at the end of November only after the permit comes into force. It means the operation of the pipeline is unlikely to start before the end of the year.

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, with the capacity to transport 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year, enough to supply 26 million European households.