What Nord Stream 2 needs for approval

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea could pump billions of cubic metres of Russian gas to the EU, but deliveries cannot start without approval from German energy regulator BNetzA


Existing Nord Stream pipeline	Nord Stream 2 (awaiting approval)

200km 125 miles

NORWAY
North Sea
DENMARK
GERMANY
Greifswald
SWEDEN
POLAND
Baltic Sea
RUS.
LITHUANIA
FINLAND 
ESTONIA
LATVIA
BELARUS
Vyborg 
Narva Bay
RUSSIA


Sep 10, 2021: Russian state-run energy firm Gazprom announces completion of Nord Stream 2 pipeline, after months of construction delays due to U.S. opposition

Nov 16: Germany’s BNetzA says Gazprom-owned pipeline operator – Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 AG – needs German subsidiary before project can be approved

Nov-Dec: Transfer to new subsidiary could take two weeks

2022: BNetzA has about two months to complete pipeline study. Energy watchdog requires subsidiary to have its own assets, premises, staff and corporate services

Feb-Mar: Possible start of review by EU Commission – process could take another two to four months to express its opinion

Spring/summer: Nord Stream 2 – originally scheduled for completion in Dec 2019 – could finally go online

Nord Stream’s existing capacity of 55 billion cubic metres – equivalent to half Germany’s annual gas usage – will be doubled by Nord Stream 2


Sources: Bloomberg, Nord Stream 2, Reuters 
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