Nord Stream 2 should not be in the way: Denmark has approved the construction of the controversial gas pipeline in Danish waters. As the Danish Energy Authority announced, a major part of the pipeline on the Danish continental shelf southeast of Bornholm may pass through the Baltic Sea.
This is the final pending completion approval for the pipeline. All the other countries concerned had already approved the construction earlier. Nord Stream 2 is scheduled for completion by the end of the year, but Danish approval for the more than 1,200-kilometer pipeline was missing.
In Denmark, the criticism of the highly controversial project in other countries was great. There were several attempts to prevent the efforts by a law. It was argued with overriding national interests. For this reason, the pipeline company had most recently given up a proposed route through Danish territorial waters - and accepted a large arc around the island of Bornholm.
Another alternative, also to the south, has now been approved by the Danish Energy Authority. It is not the desired route, but a several kilometers longer route through the Exclusive Economic Zone, said a company spokesman. The Energy Authority justified its decision for this route with less impact on shipping and nature conservation. She was also preferable to a northwestern alternative.
Further pipeline to Poland approved
Behind Nord Stream 2 stands the Russian state-owned Gazprom, which is to shoulder half of the planned total cost of 9.5 billion euros. The other half are being financed by five European energy companies: the BASF subsidiary Wintershall, OMV as well as Uniper, Royal Dutch Shell and the French company Engie. The authorities in Russia, Finland, Sweden and Germany had already approved the project before Denmark.
However, Nord Stream 2 is criticized by the US, as well as some Eastern European and Baltic states. They fear that the gas pipeline could increase the dependence of Central Europe on Russian energy. The German government is still behind the project and hopes to supply cheap gas - 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas to flow through the pipes to Germany every year.
US President Donald Trump had announced his intention to review sanctions - and brought himself into play as an energy partner. Apart from Denmark, there were also critical voices in the German-Russian project in Poland. In this context, it is striking that just a few days before the approval of Nord Stream 2, Denmark approved yet another pipeline - to be sent to Poland.
The Baltic Pipe is intended to transport natural gas from Norway to Poland. The gas pipelines are to intersect in the Baltic Sea. The capacity of the Baltic Pipe, however, should be significantly lower - it will flow about ten billion cubic meters per year.
