Gazprom has disclosed details of the timing of the completion of Nord Stream 2: the company expects to put the gas pipeline into operation within a reasonable time frame. This is stated in the prospectus for the placement of new Eurobonds by Gazprom, TASS reports.
“We have laid more than 2.3 thousand kilometers of both branches of the gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea. We intend to complete its construction as soon as it becomes reasonably possible,” the document says. It is also emphasized that Nord Stream 2 remains one of the holding’s priority investment projects in 2021.
Earlier, the German publication Handelsblatt reported that the Russian pipe-laying barge Fortuna, capable of completing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, and its owner on Tuesday, January 19, will be subject to new US sanctions.
Since January 15, Denmark has allowed the resumption of construction, but the operator Nord Stream 2 AG postponed it for at least two weeks, citing the need for additional tests. A similar permit from the German regulator has been suspended due to complaints from environmental organizations.
If the construction of Nord Stream 2 is completed, the company will have to deal with certification and insurance issues. The Norwegian DNV GL and the Swiss Zurich Insurance Group have already withdrawn from the project under threat of sanctions. The start date of the gas pipeline operation has been postponed by six months – until the summer of 2021.