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Nord Stream pipeline

Nord Stream (Russian: Северный поток Severnyy potok, German: Nordeuropäische Gasleitung, Polish: Gazociąg Północny; former names: North Transgas and North European Gas Pipeline; also known as the Russo–German gas pipeline or the Baltic Sea gas pipeline) is a planned natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany by the company Nord Stream AG. The name of Nord Stream refers usually to the offshore pipeline between Vyborg, Russia, and Greifswald, Germany, but sometimes it may have wider meaning, which includes the onshore pipeline in Russia and further connections in Western Europe.

The project, which is promoted by Russia and Germany, is seen as controversial both for environmental concerns and national security risks in some countries such as Poland and the Baltic states, which favour overland pipelines across their countries' territories.

History

Sea areas in international rights

The project started in 1997 when Gazprom and the Finnish company Neste (later Fortum) formed a joint company, North Transgas Oy, for construction and operation of a gas pipeline from Russia to Northern Germany across the Baltic Sea. The German partner in this project was Ruhrgas (later E.ON). A route survey in the Exclusive Economic Zones of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, and a feasibility study of the pipeline was performed in 1998. Various route options were considered including routes with onshore segments through Finland and Sweden.[1][2]

In April 2001, Gazprom, Fortum, Ruhrgas and Wintershall adopted a statement regarding a joint feasibility study for the pipeline. On 18 November 2002, the Management Committee of Gazprom approved a schedule of project implementation. In May 2005, Fortum withdrew from the project and sold its 50% stake in North Transgas to Gazprom. As a result, Gazprom became the 100% owner of North Transgas Oy.[3]

On 8 September 2005, Gazprom, BASF and E.ON signed a basic agreement on the construction of a North European Gas Pipeline. On 30 November 2005, the North European Gas Pipeline Company (later Nord Stream) was incorporated in Zug, Switzerland. On 9 December 2005, Gazprom started construction of the Russian onshore section of the pipeline. On 30 March 2006, the shareholders’ committee of the North European Gas Pipeline Company held its first meeting. On 4 October 2006, the pipeline and the operating company were officially renamed Nord Stream.[4] After establishment of Nord Stream AG, all information related to the pipeline project, including results of the seabed survey of 1998, were transferred from North Transgas to the new company, and on 2 November 2006, North Transgas was officially dissolved.[5]

The environmental impact assessment procedure started on 16 November 2006 with notification sent to the countries around the Baltic Sea.[1] In spring 2007 the Finnish authorities requested the consortium to survey more southern route of the pipeline because of environmental and geological conditions.[6][7] Based on this request, on 31 May 2007, Nord Stream AG filled an application to carry out the survey in Estonian waters. On 20 September 2007, taking into account sovereignty in its territorial waters, and because the results of drilling work on the continental shelf would give information about Estonia's natural resources and their possible use, the Government of Estonia rejected the seabed survey application.[8][9] Because of the disputed territory between Denmark and Poland, on 21 August 2007 Nord Stream AG decided to re-route the pipeline to run north of Bornholm instead of the southern route.[1][10][11][12] However, on 4 December 2007, Danish authorities asked to consider an alternative route to the east and south of Bornholm because of shipping safety.[13] Based on this request, on 2 September 2008 Nord Stream AG presented a new optimized route (so called S-Route) south of Bornholm.[14]

On 19 March 2007, Nord Stream AG mandated Snamprogetti for detailed design engineering of the gas pipeline.[15] A letter of intent for construction works was signed with Saipem on 17 September 2007 and the contract was concluded on 24 June 2008.[16][17] On 25 September 2007, the pipe supply tender was awarded to the pipe producers EUROPIPE and OMK, and on 18 February 2008 the concrete weight coating and logistics services agreement was awarded to EUPEC PipeCoatings S.A.[18][19] The agreement to take N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie to the consortium as the fourth partner, was signed on 6 November 2007.[20] On 10 June 2008, Gasunie was included in the register of shareholders.[21]

On 21 December 2007, Nord Stream AG submitted application documents to the Swedish government for the pipeline construction in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone.[22] On 12 February 2008, the Swedish government rejected the consortium's application which it had found too incomplete to take a stance on. Sweden's environment secretary Andreas Carlgren said the consortium needs to describe the environmental consequences along the entire stretch of the proposed pipeline and put forward an alternative where the pipe is not built under the sea, and also describe the option where the gas pipeline is not built at all.[23][24] On 23 October 2008 Nord Stream AG submitted a new application to the Swedish authorities and on 12 December 2008 to the German authorities.[25][26]

In August 2008, Nord Stream AG hired former Finnish prime minister Paavo Lipponen as a consultant to help speed up the application process in Finland and to serve as a link between Nord Stream and Finnish authorities.[27] This raised concerns about the amount of politicians being paid by Nord Stream, as Gerhard Schröder is already heading the shareholder's committee.

In December 2008, GDF Suez confirmed its interest in taking a minority stake in the project.[28] On 30 December 2008 Rolls-Royce plc was awarded a contract to supply gas turbines driving centrifugal compressors and on ( January 2009 Boskalis Westminster was awarded a seabed dredging contract.[29][30]

Technical features

Russian onshore pipeline

Main article: Gryazovets–Vyborg gas pipeline

Construction of the Russian overland part (Gryazovets–Vyborg gas pipeline) began on 9 December 2005 in the town of Babayevo (Vologda Oblast), and is estimated to be completed in 2010. It is to be designed, constructed, and operated solely by Gazprom.[31] This pipeline will be a part of the integral gas transport network of Russia connecting existing grid in Gryazovets with the coastal compressor station at Vyborg.[32] The length of this pipeline will be 917 kilometres (570 mi), the diameter of the pipe is 1,420 millimetres (56 in) and working pressure will be 100 atm (10 MPa), which will be secured by six compressor stations. The Gryazovets-Vyborg pipeline will also supply gas to the Northwestern region of Russia (Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast).[31] According to the Finnish natural gas company Gasum, a branch pipeline in Karelia will connect the onshore section of the pipeline to Finland.[33]

Baltic Sea offshore pipeline

The offshore pipeline is being ordered and will be operated by Nord Stream AG, a joint company owned by Gazprom (51% of shares), BASF and E.ON (both 20%), and N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (9%).[20][34] It will run from Vyborg compressor station at Portovaya Bay along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to Greifswald in Germany. The length of the subsea pipeline is planned to be 1,220 kilometres (760 mi), of which 1.5 kilometres (0.8 nmi) in Russian inland, 121.5 nautical miles (225.0 km) in Russian territorial waters, 1.8 kilometres (1.0 nmi) in the Russian economic zone, 369 kilometres (199 nmi) in the Finnish economic zone, 506 kilometres (273 nmi) in the Swedish economic zone, 46 kilometres (25 nmi) in the Danish territorial waters, 90 kilometres (49 nmi) in the Danish economic zone, 29 kilometres (16 nmi) in the German economic zone, 56 kilometres (30 nmi) in German territorial waters and 0.5 kilometres (0.3 nmi) in German inland. However, the exact route is not finalized yet, as alternatives south of Hogland and south-east of Gotland.[1]

The plan is to build two parallel gas pipeline legs each with capacity of 27.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year. The diameter of the pipe will be 1,220 millimetres (48 in), the wall thickness 38 millimetres (1.50 in) and the working pressure 220 bar (22 MPa).[34] The first leg to be built in 2010-2011 and the second one in 2011-2012.[17] The first gas delivery is scheduled for late 2011.[35] The original project foresaw a 30 by 30 meters (9,500 ft square) service platform in the Swedish economic zone, 90 kilometres (56 mi) to north-east of Gotland island. However, in April 2008 Nord Stream AG announced that the advanced technology allows to maintain the pipeline without the mid-point service platform and the platform will not to be constructed.[36]

Western European pipelines

The Western European part of the project includes two transmission pipelines in Germany. The southern pipeline (OPAL pipeline) will run from Greifswald to Olbernhau near German-Czech border. It will connect Nord Stream with JAGAL (connected to the Yamal-Europe pipeline), and STEGAL (connected to the Russian gas transport route via Czech and Slovak republics) pipelines. The western pipeline (NEL pipeline) will run from Greifswald to Achim, where it will be connected with the Rehden-Hamburg gas pipeline.[37] Together with the MIDAL pipeline it will create the Greifswald–Bunde connection. Further gas delivery to the UK will be made through the planned connection between Bunde and Den Helder, and from there through the offshore interconnector Balgzand–Bacton (BBL Pipeline). Gazprom has also bought an abandoned mine (Hinrichshagen Structure) in Waren, which is planned to convert into the largest underground gas storage in Europe with capacity of 5 bcm.[38][39]

However, the German regulator has agreed to grant permits for construction of NEL and OPAL pipelines only if they are constructed as a part of a natural gas transmission grid with access given to third parties — something that is opposed by Nord Stream's partners.[40] For the same reason, a similar problem faces Gazprom's plan to build a 0.5 bcm underground gas storage facility in the Campine area, near Antwerp, which was designed to ensure Russian gas deliveries to Western Europe and was planned to be used in connection with the Nord Stream.[41]

Natural gas supply sources

The main source of natural gas for the Nord Stream pipeline will be Yuzhno-Russkoye field, which is located in the Krasnoselkupsky District, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Tyumen Oblast. The licence for the Yuzhno–Russkoye field is owned by Severneftegazprom, the subsidiary of Gazprom. BASF and E.ON are minor shareholders in Severneftegazprom. The proven reserves of Yuzhno–Russkoye are 800 bcm and estimations are more than 1000 bcm of natural gas. The planned capacity of Yuzhno–Russkoye is about 25 bcm of gas per year.

Nord Stream will be fed additionally from fields in Yamal Peninsula, Ob-Taz bay. Gazprom has also indicated that the majority of gas produced at the Shtokman field would be sold to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline. For this purpose, the pipeline from the Shtokman field via Kola peninsula to Volkhov or Vyborg in the Leningrad Oblast has to be built.[42]

Environmental impact assessment

The Nord Stream pipeline construction is a subject to the environmental impact assessment in accordance with the Espoo Convention and national legislation of concerned countries, and HELCOM recommendations. In mid-November 2006, the official notification of the project was sent to Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, as parties of origin (the countries whose exclusive economic zones and/or territorial waters the pipeline is planned to pass through), as well as to Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia as affected parties.[34]

Originally Nord Stream AG wanted the work on the environmental impact assessment report to be finished by mid-2007 and to get the final environmental impact assessment approval at the beginning of 2008. However, the deadline was postponed several times and the final report would be delayed until at least March 2009.[43]

Russia's Federal Service for Ecological, Technical and Atomic Safety (Rostekhnadzor), said on 5 April 2007 that it had found both the Russian onshore and offshore sections of the route environmentally safe.[44]

Costs and financing

According to Gazprom, the costs of the onshore pipelines on Russian and German territory could be around €6 billion.[12] The offshore section of the project is expected to cost €7.4 billion.[45] However, according to Gerhard Schröder, the chairman of Nord Stream AG, the offshore pipeline will cost €EUR8 billion, while BASF expects that the figure may rise to €9 billion.[46]

Approximately 30% of the financing will be through equity provided by shareholders in proportion to their stakes in the project, while 70% will be from external financing by banks.[47] The financial advisers for external financing are Société Générale, ABN Amro and Dresdner Kleinwort.[20] The European Investment Bank (EIB) has been considered as one possible major financing partner.[48] However, according to the President of the EIB Philippe Maystadt, EIB funding is unlikely because of opposition from several member states.[49]

Contractors

Nord Stream AG employs several contractors. The environmental impact assessment carries out by Rambøll and Environmental Resource Management (ERM). The route and seabed surveys are conducted by Marin Mätteknik, IfAÖ and PeterGaz and DOF Subsea.[50][51]

The design engineering of the subsea pipeline is being done by Snamprogetti (now part of Saipem) and the pipeline will be constructed by Saipem.[15][17] The seabed would be prepared for the laying of the pipeline by Boskalis Westminster, who will move about 320,000 tonnes of rock to level and stabilize the seabed, and dredg a 23 kilometres (14 mi) trench for the pipes.[30] The pipes for the first leg of the pipeline will be provided by the German company EUROPIPE, and the Russian pipe mill OMK.[18] Concrete weight coating and logistics services will be provided by EUPEC PipeCoatings S.A. For the concrete weight coating new coating plants to be constructed in Mukran (Germany) and Kotka (Finland). Pipe coating was scheduled to start in Mukran in January 2009 and in Kotka in March 2009.[19] Rolls-Royce plc will supply eight industrial aeroderivative gas turbines driving centrifugal compressors for front-end gas boosting at the Vyborg (Portovaya) gas compressor station.[29]

For the construction period, Nord Stream AG is planning to create a logistic center in Gotland. For this purpose Nord Stream AG is ready to finance the reconstruction of the Slite harbor for using it as the main interim stock yard. Other interim stock yards to be located in Mukran, in Kotka, in Hanko (Finland) and in Karlshamn (Sweden).[19]

Project company

Main article: Nord Stream AG

The Nord Stream offshore pipeline is being ordered and will be operated by the special project company—Nord Stream AG. Nord Stream AG was incorporated in Zug, Switzerland on 30 November 2005. Shareholders of the company are the Russian gas company Gazprom (51% of shares), German energy companies BASF and E.ON (both 20%), and the Dutch gas company N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (9%).[20][34] The Managing Director of Nord Stream AG is Matthias Warnig and the chairman of the shareholders’ committee is Gerhard Schröder. agreed of Nord Stream AG.

Transportation contracts

As of 8 May 2008, there were contracts for transportation of 21 bcm of natural gas through the Nord Stream pipeline.[52] On 13 October 2005 Gazprom's export arm Gazprom Export signed a contract with German gas company Wingas, a joint venture of Gazprom and Wintershall (subsidiary of BASF), to supply 9 bcm of natural gas annually for 25 years following the pipeline's launch in 2010.[53]

On 16 June 2006 Gazprom and Danish DONG Energy signed a 20 year contract for delivery of 1 bcm Russian gas annually to Denmark with the option to increase the annual quantities. Under the agreement, Gazprom will start supplying gas in 2011. In addition, DONG Energy will start supplying 0.6 bcm natural gas annually to the Gazprom's subsidiary in the United Kingdom Gazprom Marketing and Trading.[54] Gazprom Marketing and Trading will be supplied also directly through the Nord Stream pipeline.

On 29 August 2006 Gazprom and E.ON Ruhrgas signed an agreement to extend current contracts on natural gas supplies and have signed a contract for an additional 4 bcm of annual gas supply through the Nord Stream pipeline.[55]

On 19 December 2006, Gazprom and Gaz de France (now GDF Suez) agreed to an additional 2.5 bcm gas supply via the Nord Stream, starting from the end of 2010.[56]

Nord Stream pipeline will also supply a planned 1200 MW gas-turbine power station near Lubmin, Germany. The power station will be jointly constructed and operated by Gazprom and E.ON.[57]

Controversy

The pipeline project has drawn criticism internationally, most strongly from the United States, Poland, Sweden, the Baltic countries. [58][59][60]

However, European Comission Energy comissioner office confirms the commitment of the Union to building the pipeline, stating the "EU continues to strongly support the Nord Stream pipeline as an additional source of gas supplies from Russia".[61]

Political aspects

Existing and planned natural gas pipelines (the map is incomplete, as both the Nabucco Pipeline and South Stream are missing).

Opponents have seen the pipeline as a move by Russia to bypass traditional transit countries (currently Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Belarus and Poland).[62] Some transit countries are concerned that a long-term plan of the Kremlin is to attempt to exert political influence on them by threatening their gas supply without affecting supplies to Western Europe.[10][63] The fears are strengthened by the fact that Russia has so far refused to ratify the Energy Charter Treaty. Critics of Nord Stream say that Europe could become dangerously dependent on Russian natural gas, particularly since Russia could face problems meeting a surge in domestic as well as foreign demand.[64]

The Russian response has been that the pipeline will increase Europe’s energy security, and that the criticism is caused by bitterness about the loss of significant transit revenues, as well as the loss of political influence that stems from the transit countries' ability to hold Russian gas supplies to Western Europe hostage to their local political agendas.[65] It would reduce Russia's dependence on the transit countries as for the first time it would link Russia directly to Western Europe.[64] According to Gazprom, the direct connection to Germany would decrease risks in the gas transit zones, including the political risk of cutting off Russian gas exports to Western Europe.[66]

Following several cuts to supplies to Ukraine, and further on to Europe on the 1st of January 2006 and 1st of January 2009, as well as foreign policy towards Eastern Europe, it has been noted that the distribution of gas can be used as a political tool from the Russian state through Gazprom, which it owns.[67]

Security and military aspects

Swedish military experts and several politicians, including former Minister for Defence Mikael Odenberg, have stated that the pipeline can cause "a security policy problem" for Sweden and warnings have been raised about Russian espionage and military friction.[68] Odenberg said "We get a pipeline that motivates Russian navy presence in our economic zone and the Russians can use this for military intelligence should they want to. Of course that is a problem". He also stated that the Swedish government has very limited opportunity to influence the project, except for the environmental aspects.[69] More political concerns were raised when Russian president Vladimir Putin stated that the ecological safety of the pipeline project will be ensured by using the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy.[70]

German weekly Stern has reported about the controversy concerning the monitoring system of the pipeline. There are concerns that the fiber optic cable and repeater stations along the pipeline could theoretically also be used for espionage. Nord Stream AG asserts that a fiber-optic control cable was neither necessary nor technically planned. At the same time Canadian company Fox-Tek has reported to have a negotiations with Gazprom to provide a cable to the Nord Stream pipeline.[71] Deputy Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Gazprom Alexander Medvedev has dismissed these concerns, stating that "Some objections are put forward that are laughable— political, military or linked to spying. That is really surprising because in the modern world ... it is laughable to say a gas pipeline is a weapon in a spy war."[72]

Finnish military scholar Alpo Juntunen has said that even though the political discussion over Nord Stream in Finland concentrates on the various ecological aspects, there are clearly military implications to the pipeline that are not discussed openly in Finland.[73]

Economic aspects

Russian and German officials claim that the new pipeline would eventually lead to economic savings, despite the high investment cost. Two reasons given were the elimination of transit fees (as transit countries would be bypassed), and that an offshore pipeline has a higher operating pressure which leads to lower operating costs (by eliminating the necessity for expensive midway compressor stations.[47] Observers speak of one billion dollars annually which would be lost by transit countries but saved by countries connected to the pipeline.

Some have queried whether any savings will be gained, as the maintenance costs of a submarine pipeline are significantly higher than for an overland route. In 1998, former Gazprom chairman Rem Vyakhirev claimed that the project was economically unfeasible.[74] This estimation may not be valid anymore as the price of natural gas and construction costs have been changed since then.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has stated that Europe must decide whether it needs this pipeline or not. If not, Russia will build LNG plants instead of the pipeline, which according to Mr Putin will be more expensive for European countries.[61]

Environmental aspects

Environmental concerns raised are that the construction of the pipeline would disturb the sea bed, dislodging World War II-era naval mines and toxic materials including chemical munitions and other items dumped in the Baltic Sea in the past decades, and thereby damaging the Baltic's particularly sensitive ecosystem.[75][76][77] Harri Helenius, Finland's ambassador to Russia, warned that because of pollution in the Gulf of Finland, toxic substances could surface from the seabed during construction.[78] On 31 October 2007, Swedish Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren demanded "that the environmental analysis should include alternative ways of taking the pipeline across the Baltic". According to Carlgren, the pipeline is projected to be passing through areas considered environmentally problematic and risky, where there are mines, chemical waste and chemical weapons.[79] Carlgren was supported by Sweden's three opposition parties calling for an examination of the possibility of rerouting the pipeline onto dry land.[78] Environmental groups have been campaigning to consider the more southern route, claiming that the sea bed is flatter and so construction would be more straightforward, and therefore potentially less disruptive to waste, including dioxin, littered on the sea bed.[6] The World Wide Fund for Nature has said it might file a court case against Nord Stream AG if the company did not properly assess a potential alternative route on the southern side of Hogland. According to Nord Stream AG, this is not a suitable route for the pipeline because of the planned conservation area near Hogland, subsea cables, and a main shipping route.[59] The impact on bird and marine life in the Baltic Sea is also a concern, as the Baltic sea is recognized by the International Maritime Organization as a particularly sensitive sea area. According to Ene Ergma, Speaker of the Parliament of Estonia, the pipeline work will entail ripping a canal in the seabed which will demand leveling the sand that lies along the way, atomizing volcanic formations and disposing of fill along the bottom of the sea, altering sea currents. Russian environmental organizations warn that the ecosystem in the Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is the most vulnerable part of the Baltic Sea and assume damage to the island territory of the planned Ingermanland nature preserve as a result of laying the pipeline.[80] Swedish environmental groups are concerned that the pipeline is planned to pass too closely to the border of the marine reserve near Gotland.[7] Also Greenpeace is concerned that the pipeline would pass through several sites designated marine conservation areas.[81]

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) requests that countries party to the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) safeguard the Baltic marine habitats, which could be altered by the implementation of the Nord Stream project.[60] Estonian scientist and former politician Endel Lippmaa raised concerns over the pipeline's planned path crossing zones of seismic activity in the Baltic Sea,[82] while in April 2007, the Young Conservative League of Lithuania started an online petition entitled "Protect the Baltic Sea While It’s Still Not Too Late!", translated into all state languages of the countries of the Baltic region.[83] On 8 July 2008, the European Parliament endorsed by 542 votes to 60 a non-binding report calling on the European Commission to evaluate the additional impact on the Baltic Sea caused by the Nord Stream project.[84]

Russian officials have described these concerns as far-fetched and politically motivated by opponents of the project. They argue that during the construction the seabed will be cleaned, rather than endangered. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed that Russia fully respects the desire to provide for the 100% environmental sustainability of the project and that Russia is fully supportive of such an approach,[85] and that all environmental concerns would be addressed in the process of environmental impact assessment. Also, Nord Stream has stated that there is no legal basis for an independent report on the impact on the environment, as demanded by several non-governmental organizations.[86]

Concerns have raised, that Nord Stream AG was planning on rinsing out the pipeline with 2.3 billion liters of a solution containing glutaraldehyde, pumped directly into the Baltic Sea when the procedure was finished. Nord Stream AG responded that while it had indeed considered using glutaraldehyde, further study has shown that it would not have to be employed, and even had the chemical been used, the effects would have been brief and localized due to the speed with which the chemical breaks down once it comes in contact with water.[87]

One of the raised problems is that the Gulf of Finland was mined during the World War II, with many mines still on the sea.[81] Critics of the pipeline have voiced fears that the pipeline would disturb ammunition dumps. On 29 February 2008, Nord Stream AG reported that they had detected about ten mines in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Finland. The Finnish navy has confirmed they lack resources to sweep the mines, but would offer to help identify them.[88] In November 2008 it was reported that the pipeline will run through old sea mine defense lines and that the Gulf of Finland is considered one of the most heavily mined sea areas in the world.[89] Sunken mines, which have been found on the pipeline route, lay primarily in international waters at a depth of more than 70 metres (230 ft). Nord Stream AG plans to detonate the mines underwater.[89]

German political controversy

The former Chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schröder, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, were strong advocates of the pipeline project during the negotiation phase. The agreement to build the pipeline was signed ten days before the German parliamentary election. On 24 October 2005, a few weeks before Schröder stepped down as Chancellor, the German government guaranteed to cover €1 billion of the Nord Stream project cost, should Gazprom default on a loan. However, this guarantee expired at the end of 2006[90] without ever having been needed. Soon after leaving the post of Chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schröder agreed to head the shareholders’ committee of Nord Stream AG. This has been widely described by German and international media as a conflict of interest,[91][92][93] the implication being that the pipeline project may have been pushed through for personal gain rather than for improving gas supplies to Germany. Information about the German government's guarantee was requested by the European Commission. No formal charges have been filed against any party despite the years of exhaustive investigations.[90]

In addition, the former Prime Minister of Finland Paavo Lipponen works for the Nord Stream as an adviser since 2008.[94]

Land based alternatives

On 11 January 2007, the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Finland made a statement on the environmental impact assessment progamme of the Russia-Germany natural gas pipeline, in which mentioned, that alternative routes via the Baltic States, Kaliningrad and/or Poland might theoretically be shorter than the route across the Baltic Sea, would be easier to flexibly increase the capacity of the pipeline, and might have better financial results.[95] There are also calls from Sweden to consider rerouting the pipeline onto dry land.[78] Poland has proposed the construction of a second line of the Yamal-Europe pipeline, as well as the Amber pipeline through the Baltic states and Poland as land based alternatives to the offshore pipeline.[96] The Amber project foresee to lay a natural gas pipelines across Tver, Novgorod and Pskov oblasts in Russia and the through Latvia and Lithuania to Poland, where it to be re-connected to the Yamal-Europe pipeline.[2] Proponents claimed that the Amber pipeline would cost half as much as an underwater pipeline, would be shorter, and would have less environmental impact.[97] Critics of this proposal say that in this case it would be more expensive for the suppliers in the long-term perspective, because the main aim of the project is to reduce transit costs.[citation needed] Nord Stream AG has responded that the Baltic Sea would be the only route for the pipeline and it will not consider an overland alternative.[98]

Soviet war graves

Estonian member of the European Parliament, Andres Tarand has raised the issue that the Nord Stream pipeline could disturb Soviet war graves dating from naval battles in 1941. A Nord Stream spokesman has stated that only one sunken ship is in vicinity of the planned pipeline and added that it wouldn't be disturbed[99] However, on 16 July 2008 was announced that one of DOF Subsea's seismic vessels during a shoot for the planned Nord Stream pipeline in Finland's exclusive economic zone in the Gulf of Finland, discovered the wreck of a submarine with Soviet markings, believed to have sunk during World War II.[50]

In addition to the wreck of the Soviet submarine, there are sunken ships on the route of Nord Stream in the Bay of Greifswald and in the Gulf of Finland. The ship in the Bay of Greifswald is one of 20 sunk in 1715 by the Swedish navy to create a physical barrier across the shallow entrance to the Bay of Greifswald coastal lagoon.[100] The sunken ship ship in the Gulf of Finland probably belonged to the fleet of Peter I of Russia, headed to Finland in 1713 under the Tsar's personal command.[101] There are plans to raise both wrecks.

See also

References

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External links

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