Nord Stream 2 AG, the developer of a pipeline to supply Russian natural gas to the EU market through the Baltic Sea received the construction permit for the Russian section of the planned pipeline, Russia's Gazprom announced late on Thursday.
The Russian company said the Russian Ministry of Construction and Utilities issued the permit in line with the established procedure.
"Practical implementation of the project under the terms of the newly issued permit will begin in the nearest future, taking into account environmental aspects and in line with the conclusion of the state environmental expert review," a statement from Gazprom said.
"We are very pleased to have obtained this permit. This is the result of extensive and thorough teamwork that has been carried out throughout the comprehensive permitting process. This marks an important milestone for the Nord Stream 2 project," said Sergey Serdyukov, chief technical officer of Nord Stream 2 AG.
In Russia, the Nord Stream 2 needs to obtain two main permits. In addition to the permit issued on Thursday, a permit to construct an underwater pipeline in the territorial sea of the Russian Federation will be obtained from the Russian Environmental Authority.
According to Gazprom, its issue is expected in the near future.
To date, Germany, Finland and Sweden have granted all the necessary permits for construction and operation of the planned pipeline. The national permitting procedure in Denmark is ongoing.
(Anadolu Agency, 08/06/2018)
