The Danish Energy Agency has given the green lights for the developer of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to use pipelaying vessels with anchors to potentially finish construction of the project, Kallanish Energy reports. 

Developer Nord Stream 2 AG had requested that the Danish authorities change a condition in the permit granted to the company in Oct. 2019, which approved the use of pipelaying vessels with self-positioning (DP pipe-laying vessels), not the ones that use anchors.

Construction of the pipeline in Danish waters can now be completed using either or two methods combined. The approval means Gazprom and partners can circumvent U.S. sanctions targeting pipelaying companies and finalize the project using Russian vessels.

The delayed offshore project will transport 55 billion cubic meters per year (Bcm/y) of Russian gas to Europe via Germany.

The Danish authorities explained on Monday “the remaining part of the pipeline to be constructed in Denmark is outside the area where bottom trawling, anchoring, and seabed intervention are discouraged due to the risk posed by dumped chemical warfare agents.”

The decision also took into consideration the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, under which Denmark is obliged to allow the construction of transit pipelines. Pipelaying vessels with anchors had already been environmentally assessed but were not covered in the permit issued last year.

Gazprom is rumored to be looking into employing the Fortuna pipelaying barge, owned by Russian private contractor Mezhregiontruboprovodstroy to conclude the pipeline.

This post appeared first on Kallanish Energy News.