Before Nord Stream could start constructing the first of its two pipelines, each of them with an inner diameter of 1.153mt, the consortium underwent a permitting process involving all nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea. Detailed trans-boundary and national environmental impact assessments were carried out based on detailed studies of the Baltic Sea region.
Henning Kothe, project director at Nord Stream, said: “The first 3km of the Nord Stream Pipeline are laid. Now we are finally making our project a reality. During the permitting phase, we showed that we are planning a technically and environmentally safe project; now we will live up to our plans and create the infrastructure that will secure Europe’s gas supply for decades to come.”
Nord Stream invested more than EUR100m in surveys and route planning. This led to the development of pipe-laying procedures and sequencing, as well as an environmental monitoring program to meet safety and environmental requirements while enabling the construction vessels to work efficiently, Nord Stream said.
Throughout the project, a number of vessels will be used for different activities such as pipe supply, surveying, or anchor handling. Pipe laying itself will be carried out by three lay barges: Saipem’s Castoro Sei for most of the offshore construction, Saipem’s Castoro Dieci, near the German shore (from June 2010) and Allseas’ Solitaire in the Gulf of Finland (starting in September 2010).
