Russia Says Nord Stream 2 To Become Operational In Days

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(Oilprice.com – Tsvetana Paraskova – Sept. 6, 2021)

The Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is set to be completed within days and come on stream, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

The European Union (EU) and the United States have opposed the controversial Nord Stream 2 project from Russia to Germany, concerned about Russia using gas sales and its gas monopoly Gazprom as a political tool. Poland, several other EU countries, and the United States have seen Nord Stream 2 as further undermining Europe’s energy security by giving Gazprom another pipeline to ship its natural gas to European markets. Germany has looked at the project from a business perspective mostly.

“Now we see simply a frontal attack, despite everything, on Nord Stream 2, although everyone understands, and the Americans have already realized that it will be completed in a few days, it will start working,” Russia’s Lavrov said today, as carried by Russian news agency TASS.

The U.S. is looking to pitch its liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Europe, despite the fact that it is more expensive and has generated emissions in the production and liquefaction, Lavrov said on Monday.

In the middle of August, Gazprom that Nord Stream 2 may supply 5.6 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe this year.

The operating company behind the project, Switzerland-based Nord Stream 2 AG, told Reuters on August 19 that construction was 99 percent complete.

The Fortuna pipe-laying vessel from Russia is working on the final part of the construction, Nord Stream 2 AG told Reuters.

Earlier reports from German news outlet Deutsche Welle suggested that the construction works for the pipeline are expected to be completed on August 23.

At the end of July, one of the western investors in the project, Austria’s OMV, said that Nord Stream 2 could begin shipping gas as soon as this year.

[article also appeared at /Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russia-Says-Nord-Stream-2-To-Become-Operational-In-Days.html]


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