Nord Stream 2 conservation works begin in Baltic Sea

The Danish Energy Agency has granted approval for Nord Stream 2 AG, a Swiss subsidiary of Russia’s Gazprom, to begin conservation works on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.

The authorization is for necessary maintenance operations aimed at preserving the pipeline’s integrity after its certification process was halted, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

The work involves installing specially designed plugs at the open ends of the pipeline to prevent saltwater from entering and gas from escaping. The damaged sections of the pipeline will first be trimmed, and then the plugs will be inserted.

Afterward, the pipeline’s exposed ends will be backfilled with stones and concrete weights to provide protection against external impacts, particularly from fishing activities.

Danish officials estimate the service life of the isolation plugs to be approximately 10 years, though this could be extended following a more thorough assessment of the pipeline’s condition. The conservation work is expected to take place between the second and third quarters of 2025 and is projected to last for two to three weeks.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which has an annual capacity of 55 billion cubic metres of gas, extends from the Slavyanskaya compressor station in Russia’s Leningrad region to Germany’s Baltic coast. However, the pipeline has been caught in political tensions, with Germany halting the certification process and the United States placing Nord Stream 2 AG on its sanctions list.

The pipeline was filled with gas and was almost ready for operation when one of its two strings was severely damaged in September 2022 by powerful explosions. The ongoing conservation efforts aim to ensure the pipeline's preservation while international geopolitical tensions continue to influence its future.

By Vafa Guliyeva