One of the key players has left the Nord Stream 2 project. The Norwegian company DNV GL refused to certify the gas pipeline due to the threat of US sanctions, RBC writes.
DNV GL will not be able to issue a certificate of conformity to the pipeline, which is required to start its operation. The company will stop all activities to inspect the Nord Stream 2 pipeline system as long as the sanctions remain in place, DNV GL said in a statement. Inspection and certification of the pipeline is mandatory on its Danish section, the construction of which has not yet begun.
The United States first imposed sanctions on participants in the construction of Nord Stream 2 at the end of 2019 Then the Swiss pipe-laying vessel Allseas refused to cooperate with Nord Stream 2 AG. As a result, he had to look for a replacement, which was the Russian ship “Akademik Chersky”, but he also faced problems due to the inability to find an insurance company willing to cooperate.