This milestone was achieved when the section of pipeline being laid by Saipem’s Castoro Sei pipelay vessel entered Danish waters, approximately 50 km south of Bornholm.
Meanwhile at the other end of the pipeline, the world’s largest pipelay vessel, Allseas’ Solitaire, has reached the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone after completing a key section of the pipeline in Russian waters.
Nord Stream AG has now completed over 500 km of the natural gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea.
The 48 inch diameter twin-line Nord Stream Gas Pipeline system will transport 55 Bcm/a of gas from Russia to Germany, where it will join the European energy grid. The first Nord Stream pipeline will start transporting gas in 2011, and the second pipe will be completed in 2012.
Construction of the Nord Stream Pipeline commenced in April 2010, after the completion of an exhaustive Environmental Impact Assessment along the entire route of the pipeline.
Russia’s OAO Gazprom holds a 51 per cent stake in the Nord Stream AG international joint venture. German companies BASF SE/Wintershall Holding GmbH and E.ON Ruhrgas AG hold 15.5 per cent each, and the Dutch gas infrastructure company N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and the French energy company GDF SUEZ S.A. each hold a 9 per cent interest.