The construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has been postponed again, this time for six months. Now the work is going to be completed in September 2021, although previously the deadline was at the end of April, Interfax reports.
“It is not worth focusing on the specific timing of the completion of construction and the launch of the project. The launch of the project itself is important for us, and we will really accomplish this,” said Famil Sadigov, deputy chairman of the board of Gazprom. According to him, the timing depends on many factors, including weather conditions.
The gas pipeline from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea was originally supposed to be commissioned at the end of 2019. However, its completion was prevented by sanctions from the United States, due to which European companies began to leave the project.
As of early March 2021, the pipeline is 98 percent ready, and its construction cost is estimated at $ 11 billion.
Washington is hindering the construction of the facility, as American liquefied natural gas competes with Russian pipeline fuel for the European market. Russia, in turn, promises to complete the construction of the facility. In February 2021, the Fortuna barge resumed laying pipes in Danish waters, and in March the Akademik Chersky pipelayer joined the construction. However, certification and route insurance still remain unresolved issues.