The Danish Energy Agency has approved the use of pipelaying vessels with anchors for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipelines.
On 5 June 2020, Nord Stream 2 AG submitted a request to use pipelayers with anchors for the construction.
Previously, the agency approved only the DP pipelaying vessels as of 30 October 2019.
Pipelayers with anchors have been assessed in the environmental impact assessment, but were not covered by the October 2019 permit.
The new rule now allows the use of both, pipe-laying vessels with anchors or in combination with DP pipe-laying vessels.
The remaining part of the pipelines construction in Denmark is outside the warfare agents risk area.
Therefore, bottom trawling, anchoring and seabed intervention should not pose as a threat.
The decision came accordingly with the Continental Shelf Act and also Denmark’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Under the law, Denmark should secure the construction of transit pipelines with respect for safety, resources and environment.
The pipeline project on the Danish continental shelf is part of a larger pipeline project.
It consists of two 1230 kilometres parallel pipelines for the transport of gas from Russia to Germany.
The natural gas pipelines starts in Russia and passes through Finnish, Swedish, Danish and German marine areas and makes landfall at the German coast.
The pipelines can transport 55 billion m3 of natural gas per year. In Russia, Finland , Sweden, Germany as well as Denmark the authorities have granted permits for the project.