A European Pipeline

The production outlooks of major gas producers such as Netherlands and UK, as well as Norway, are falling. At the same time, demand for gas is expected to continue, owing to its lower carbon qualities. This means that the EU will need to import more gas. Nord Stream 2 will have the capacity to meet about one third of the EU’s import requirement.

Switching from coal-fired power generation to gas can help the EU meet its goal of reducing CO₂ emissions 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. In fact, Nord Stream 2 could save about 14 percent of the EU’s total CO₂ emissions from power generation if natural gas from the pipeline were used to replace coal-fired power stations.

Pipelay vessels acted as floating factories, welding and testing pipe sections before joining them onto the main pipe string. Pipes were delivered to the vessels regularly to maintain a 24-hour production schedule.

Nord Stream 2 can make a major contribution to EU energy security, but further additional supplies will be needed to fill the future gap between supply and demand in the EU. The new pipeline will supplement existing transport routes and complement other new gas supplies such as liquid natural gas (LNG) and the Southern Corridor.

The pipeline passes through the territorial waters and/or the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of five countries. Through the international permitting process, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany all granted the necessary permits. Other neighbouring Baltic states – Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – were also consulted.

Nord Stream 2 is a twin pipeline stretching 1,234 kilometres through the Baltic Sea. Each line comprises around 100,000 individual pipes.

Nord Stream 2 travels through the Baltic Sea, starting from the coast of Russia and reaching landfall near Greifswald in Germany. It runs roughly parallel to its predecessor, the Nord Stream pipeline.

The 12-metre pipe sections were welded together and then laid into the Baltic Sea using pipelay vessels. Every weld was tested to ensure that it meets Nord Stream 2’s high quality standards, and the completed pipeline underwent further testing by an independent certification body to prepare for gas to flow.