Nord Stream 2: Basic engineering for offshore section underway

Russian natural gas company Gazprom has reported that basic engineering is underway for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline’s offshore section and the landfalls in Russia and Germany. 

The Nord Stream 2 will travel through the Baltic Sea, starting from the coast of Russia and reaching landfall near Greifswald in Germany. It will run roughly parallel to the existing Nord Stream pipeline.

Gazprom said on Wednesday that the project was going according to the approved schedule. In early September, the project operator Nord Stream 2 AG signed a contract with a subsidiary of Wasco Group for concrete weight coating, logistics, and pipe storage. At the end of that month, first pipes manufactured by United Metallurgical Company and Chelyabinsk Pipe Rolling Plant were delivered to the coating plant in Finland.

In late October, first pipes produced by Germany’s Europipe GmbH arrived at the coating facility in Germany. At the end of that month, first pipes manufactured by United Metallurgical Company and Chelyabinsk Pipe Rolling Plant were delivered to the coating plant in Finland. In late October, first pipes produced by Germany’s Europipe GmbH arrived at the coating facility in Germany.

Furthermore, basic engineering is currently underway for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline’s offshore section and the landfalls in Russia and Germany. Additional geotechnical surveys are carried out in the Bay of Greifswald’s offshore and onshore areas traversed by the pipeline. National Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports are also under development, along with the consolidated EIA report, Gazprom added.

Earlier in December, the offshore contractor Allseas was chosen to lay the first string of the gas pipeline. Nord Stream 2 AG and Allseas inked the letter of intent for laying the first string’s offshore section, with the option to collaborate on the second string.

Several days later, Nord Stream AG informed there was a possibility for the authorities of the Swedish Region Gotland and the municipality Karlshamn not to sign an agreement for the utilization of their respective harbors – Slite and Karlshamn – for the storage of the piping for the project. The consequence of the decision would be that Wasco Coatings GmbH, the German unit of Dutch Wasco Coatings, would not be able to sign contracts for the use of these harbors for pipe transshipments.

Nord Stream 2 AG is a project company established for planning, construction and subsequent operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The company is based in Switzerland and is currently owned equally by Gazprom Gerosgaz Holdings B.V., the Netherlands, an affiliate of PJSC Gazprom, and PJSC Gazprom.