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Danish Nord Stream 2 Appeal Expires

STOCKHOLM, November 27. / TASS /. The appeal period for permission from the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) along the route of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline southeast of Bornholm expired at 17:00 Moscow time. TASS request for an appeal from the Danish Appeals Board for Energy on the decision of the agency remained unanswered.

"The Energy Appeals Board, as a rule, accepts appeals in the last days of the deadline for appeals," said Ellen Ovig Jorgensen, the spokesperson for the department. "Today, November 27, at 3 p.m. (5 p.m. Moscow time), the deadline for submitting applications is this case expires." She explained that a complaint usually does not suspend a case. "In general, the appeal does not have a suspensive effect," said Jorgensen. The representative of the department also added that, on average, the appeals council makes a decision within 17 months - this is the average for October 2019. The intention to send a complaint to the court about the permit for environmental reasons was expressed on November 22 in Ukraine.

The Danish Energy Agency granted a permit to Nord Stream 2 AG to construct a section of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline southeast of the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, the agency said in a press release on October 30.

In April, Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the Nord Stream 2 project, applied for two route alternatives on the continental shelf southeast of Bornholm with a length of respectively 147 km and 164 km. The Danish Energy Agency rejected the northwestern route mainly "due to an assessment of the impact on shipping and Natura 2000 areas." Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas, a central component in protection of biodiversity in the countries of the European Union.

The agency approved the shortest route, since this route provides the least risk and impact from an environmental and safety perspective and therefore is the preferable choice.

To date the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been built by more than 80%. According to the schedule, the projects should be completed by the end of the year.

Earlier, head of Gazprom Alexei Miller said that the construction of a section of the pipeline in Danish waters would take about five weeks after the project’s operator obtains permit from the country's authorities. Gazprom’s European partners in the project are German Uniper and Wintershall, Austrian OMV, French Engie and Anglo-Dutch Shell. They finance 50% of the project.