Nord Stream AG, the consortium and developer for the Nord Stream gas pipeline wrapped up a two-day meeting in Germany to vet public and shareholder comments on a trans-boundary environmental report submitted by the project consortium in March. Nord Stream would travel along a dual route through the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea to Germany. Several littoral states along the intended route have complained about the potential environmental impact of pipeline construction, which is complicated by World War II munitions littering the Baltic Sea floor.
Nord Stream said the report follows intensive dialogue to address environmental concerns and national and international obligations. “This research has enabled the Nord Stream consortium to propose a safe and environmentally sound route, avoiding environmentally sensitive sites, cultural heritage and munitions wherever possible,” the project group said.
The findings presented in the Espoo report are the result of detailed surveys and desk studies dating back to 1997 of the project’s potential environmental and socio-economic effects. Nord Stream has conducted 40,000 kilometres of seabed surveys along possible routes. This research has enabled the Nord Stream consortium to propose a safe and environmentally sound route, avoiding wherever possible environmentally sensitive sites, cultural heritage and munitions. The international consultation processes began in spring 2006 and as of today, 16 meetings with officials from the nine Baltic Sea countries have been held. “Nord Stream looks forward to further cooperation with the authorities to resolve outstanding issues over the summer, with a view to permits being granted before the end of 2009. Construction of the 1,220-kilometre pipeline is scheduled to start in early 2010,” the group said. National permits to build and operate the pipeline are required from the countries through which waters the Nord Stream pipeline will pass: Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. These countries involved each other and the other Baltic Sea countries on the potential trans-boundary impacts as part of the Espoo process. Nord Stream is a joint project of four major companies: Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, Germany’s BASF/Wintershall Holding AG, E.ON Ruhrgas AG and Dutch NV Nederlandse Gasunie.