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Finland expects to receive request for Nord Stream-2 construction in September — media

According to the Finnish ministry of economic affairs and employment, Nord Stream-2 is unlikely to impact the country’s gas market

MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. Finland expects to receive a Nord Stream 2 AG request for the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline in September 2017, or six months before the beginning of construction works, adviser to Finland’s minister of economic affairs and employment Kari Makinen said in an interview with the Izvestia daily.

"We have been informed and are ready to receive the request in September," he said.

According to the Finnish ministry of economic affairs and employment, Nord Stream-2 is unlikely to impact the country’s gas market. "The Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline that is planned to be built, like Nord Stream, will run across Finland and the Baltic countries. It will have no impacts on Finland’s gas market. Hence, our position on that matter is neutral," Liisa Heikinheimo, director of the ministry’s energy department, told Izvestia.

A spokesman for the Russian energy ministry told the newspaper that Finland’s consent means that the project is implemented as scheduled. According to the spokesman, the request for the construction works will be issued to the Finnish authorities in August 2017.

The construction of the gas pipeline is planned to begin in 2018 to be over in later 2019. The 1,220 pipeline will run across the bottom the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast to Germany. The capacity of each of its two threads will be 27.5 billion cubic meters a year. The new pipeline, basically following the same route as Nord Stream, will double its capacity. The overall cost of the project is 9.9 billion euro.

The Nord Stream 2 AG press service told the newspaper that the project is being agreed with the Finnish ministry of the environment. The process is expected to be over in August. Permits for construction and operation are to be obtained from Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

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