Nord Stream 2 Company Plans to Apply for Construction Permit in Finland

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The Nord Stream 2 AG company, set up to build the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to northern Europe, plans to file applications for permission to start construction in Finland in September and hopes to receive Helsinki's response by 2018, a statement released by the company said on Thursday.

"Nord Stream 2 AG plans to submit the permit applications in September 2017 and estimates to receive the respective decisions during the first quarter of 2018. The project is progressing according to schedule," the statement said.

Part of the pipeline is planned to run in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which requires two permits, namely the Government’s consent to use the Finnish EEZ, and a permit for the construction and operation of the pipeline, the statement explained.

Earlier in the day, the Finnish environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project was completed, the statement added.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is expected to bring an estimated 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas a year to Germany across the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine.