Denmark Grants Permit to Operate Nord Stream 2

The Danish Energy Agency granted permit for the Nord Stream 2 operation, provided that at least one of the gas pipeline lines is tested and verified. The Danish authorities have agreed to operate the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on the country’s continental shelf. On Thursday, October 1, the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) issued a permit to Nord Stream 2 AG, which lists a number of conditions necessary for the safe operation of the pipeline. Commissioning of Nord Stream 2 can take place only if at least one of the pipelines has been tested and verified, the statement says. The consortium submitted an application for a permit to operate the new gas pipeline on November 18, 2019. Meanwhile, DEA spokesman Ture Falbe-Hansen explained in an interview with TASS that the operations permit could be appealed to the Danish Energy Board of Appeal within four weeks. In particular, local and national environmental organizations can file a complaint. Nord Stream 2 construction suspended According to the initial plans, the commissioning of a gas pipeline with a length of more than 1,200 km was scheduled for January 2020. However, in December 2019, pipe-laying work on the bottom of the Baltic Sea was suspended due to the threat of US sanctions against European contractors. Washington believes that Nord Stream 2 will strengthen Russia’s economic grip over Europe. US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said Washington is working to build a coalition to prevent project completion. In Germany and Europe, in the light of the resonant poisoning of Alexei Navalny, there are discussions about the possible introduction of sanctions affecting the gas pipeline under construction. German Chancellor Angela Merkel still leaves open the possibility of such a decision.