Gazprom Welds NS 2 Section off Germany
The pipelaying vessel Castoro 10 is now off Rugen to weld together the two ends of a Nord Stream 2 pipe string, Gazprom Export said in an August 12 post. The 55bn m³/yr route comprises two equal lines linking Russia directly with Germany under the Baltic/North Sea. The Russian giant is the sole shareholder but its financing comes from EU gas companies.
The two pipe-ends will be lifted out of water and then aligned and welded together from a working platform attached to the pipelaying vessel. The weld seams will be then ultrasonically tested and coated with a safe anti-corrosion protection. Afterwards, the pipe string will be placed back on the Baltic seabed. With optimal weather conditions and smooth operations, the procedure takes two to three weeks.
Works on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline continues to proceed as scheduled. Altogether more than 1,700 km – over 70%– of both pipe strings have been laid in accordance with the existing permits in the waters of Germany, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The 510-km section that runs under Swedish waters is almost complete: one of the two lines is finished and work on the second will resume September 1, said a Nord Stream 2 post August 3.
Denmark's approval is a formality: since the line only crosses its exclusive economic zone, there are limits to the objections it can raise. But it has not yet given it, and the US is considering sanctions on NS 2. raising the question of when will first gas flow through NS 2 to Germany.