Page 13 - FSUOGM Week 40

FSUOGM PIPELINES & TRANSPORT FSUOGM

Russian pipelayer expected to finish

Nord Stream 2 bound for Kaliningrad

GERMANY THE Akademik Cherskiy, a Russian pipelaying remained moored until now. Mukran has been
vessel that Gazprom is widely expected to use used by Gazprom in the past for storing Nord
The vessel has been to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Ger- Stream 2’s pipes.
moored at the German many, is on the move after remaining moored Cherskiy’s departure from the port comes
port of Mukran for at the German port of Mukran for months. But after the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) on Octo-
months. rather than heading for Danish waters, where the ber 1 issued a permit to the Gazprom-owned
pipeline need to be laid, it is instead bound for Nord Stream 2 company to operate the pipeline.
the Rusisan exclave of Kaliningrad ship-tracking The DEA awarded a construction permit back in
data shows. October last year, after a lengthy delay.
Cherskiy is due to arrive in Kaliningrad The part of Nord Stream 2 still to be built is
on October 7, according to the data. Fortuna, all in Danish waters. Moscow has said it hopes to
another Russian-flagged vessel expected to pro- bring the pipeline on stream in early 2021, more
vide Cherskiy with support, moved from the than a year behind the original schedule.
German ports of Rostock to Wismar on Sep- Nord Stream 2 is Europe’s most controversial
tember 29-30. energy project. While it enjoys support from
Work on Nord Stream 2, which will carry Germany and other Central Europe states set to
up to 55bn cubic metres per year of Russian gas receive its gas, the EU’s eastern members have
to northern Germany, was halted in December said it will undermine the bloc’s energy secu-
2019 after the US imposed sanctions on the rity and give Moscow more political leverage in
project. This forced Swiss contractor Allseas to Europe.
abandon pipelaying, leaving just 6% of Nord The US wants to introduce additional sanc-
Stream 2’s offshore section uncompleted. tions that would make it even harder for Euro-
The Russian authorities have said they will pean companies to assist with Nord Stream 2’s
use their own pipelaying ships to finish the job, completion. Berlin has also faced pressure to
although they have not identified specific vessels. withdraw its support after the poisoning of Rus-
Cherskiy left the Russian Far East in Feb- sian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. However,
ruary and journeyed across the Asia-Pacific German Chancellor Angela Merkel has refused
region, around Africa and into European waters, to do so, describing Nord Stream 2 as a commer-
arriving at Mukran in mid-May. There it has cial rather than political venture.™

Week 40 07•October•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P13