Page 8 - FSUOGM Week 42 2021

FSUOGM PIPELINES & TRANSPORT FSUOGM

Nord Stream 2's first string

declared ready to pump gas

EUROPE RUSSIA has finished filling the first string of the Bundesnetzagentur has until early January to
Nord Stream 2 with natural gas, meaning that reach a draft decision on certification, and this
But there is still no the pipeline is now technically ready to operate. decision will then be passed to the European
clarity on the pipeline's But there is still no clarity on when the pipeline Commission for review. The EC has recently reit-
launch. will start pumping commercial volumes of gas erated that EU rules must apply to the pipeline.
to Europe, as first it must be certified by German Germany’s economy ministry said on Octo-
regulators. ber 15 it had consulted with neighbour states
“The gas-in procedure for the first string of about issues of gas supply security as part of the
the Nord Stream pipeline has been completed,” Nord Stream 2 certification process, according
the Gazprom-owned Nord Stream 2 operating to Reuters. After completing its assessment, the
company announced on October 18. ministry will recommend whether Bundesnet-
The string has been filled with 177mn cubic zagentur should certify the pipeline’s operator
metres of so-called technical gas, Nord Stream 2 or not.
said, bringing its pressure to 103 bars. “By the end of next week or the beginning of
“This pressure is sufficient to start gas trans- the week thereafter, we will look at the replies
portation in future,” the operator said. “Pre-com- and we will inform you of what kind of recom-
mission steps for the second string are ongoing. mendation will be dispatched to the regulator,”
Nord Stream 2 will inform about further techni- outgoing economy minister Peter Altmaier said.
cal steps in due time.” A number of Germany’s neighbours oppose
Germany’s energy regulator Bundesnet- Nord Stream 2 on energy security grounds, most
zagentur is the process of deciding whether to notably Poland. The latter’s state-owned PGNiG
certify the Nord Stream 2 company as an inde- said in September that it would take part in the
pendent transmission system operator, even pipeline’s certification process.
though it is fully owned by Gazprom, which will Following elections in late September, a new
also supply 100% of the gas that runs through the German government is set to be formed shortly,
pipeline. Under an EU amendment that came led by Social Democrats leader Olaf Scholz.
into force last year, pipelines linking the bloc While the Social Democrats have spoken in
with third countries, like Nord Stream 2, must favour of Nord Stream 2, they are hoping to
comply with EU rules on unbundling and third- form a coalition with the Green Party, which is
party access. staunchly opposed to the pipeline.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 42 20•October•2021