European Miscellaneous

NORD STREAM UNDERSEA GAS PIPELINE

BETWEEN RUSSIA AND GERMANY CREATES

A NEW ENERGY INTERDEPENDENCE

 

 

By Rolando Arturo Leiva

21 november 2011

 

Heidelberg, (Germany) - At a cost of about 12-14 billion dollars, on last November

8, has been inaugurated the longest underwater gas pipeline in world, between the

cities of Vyporg, near St. Petersburg in Russia, and Greifswald in northern Germany,

through the Baltic Sea over 1222 km, resulting in a new situation of strategic

interdependence between the two countries and causing also a new situation for the

whole geo politics of Europe.

 

Major shareholders of Company Nord Stream AG , are Russia's Gazprom with a

51% stake, and German groups BASF Wintershall and E. On Ruhrgas, each with

15%, resulting in joint German Russian partners a 82% of participation. The

Companies NV Nederlandse Gasunie of the Netherlands and Lanse GDF Suez of

France can be added each with a 9% stake.

 

Nord Stream is made up of two parallel lines or pipelines carrying natural gas, the

second of which will be delivered by 2012. Made in overtime, was carried out also

taking extraordinary measures to protect the marine environment, being one of the

conditions the other Baltic countries put to let the underwater pipeline go through its

territorial waters.

 

Nord Stream runs in effect through the territorial waters and exclusive economic

zone of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Russia but other countries also

involved are the Baltic States -Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia-, and Poland.

 

The new created Company will provide natural gas and gas pipeline from Siberia to

55 million householders in Europe,providing, -when the two pipelines are completed-,

a total of 55 million cubic meters per year, representing about 10% of overall

Europe's consumption energy.

The gas transported provide 50% less CO2 emissions and 50% more energy. It is

contemplated also to benefit other countries, as the UK, France, Belgium and the

Czech Republic.

 

In geopolitical terms, the pipeline also means independence from gas supplies

between Russia and Germany and the rest of Europe, from the traffic problems that

previously the Russian gas had going through countries such as Poland and

Ukraine.

 

The high transport costs and political instability in Ukraine, in previous years had

meant that the supply was interrupted, which worsened when NATO declares its

intentions to include Ukraine in it, an idea strongly opposed by Russia and not

having the unanimity of all members of NATO either.

 

The inauguration of the first fuel line was held on 8 November, with the assistance at

the German city of Lubmin, of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Russian

President Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister of France Francois Fillon, Energy

Commissioner of the European Union Committee, and the President of shareholders

of the Nord Stream AG, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany .-

 

Rolando Arturo Leiva

Heidelberg, Germany

21 november 2011

 

(Una versión de este artículo fue publicada en la News Letter - “InterEuropa Reporte”

- “La Crisis del Euro” noviembre 2011)