MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. Wintershall Dea has invested 730 million euros in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the company’s press service told TASS.

"Wintershall Dea takes part in the Nord Stream 2 project as a financial investor and has committed, together with other European partners (ENGIE, OMV, Shell and Uniper), to provide long-term financing for 50 per cent of the total costs of the project, which is estimated to be 9.5 billion euros. Each company will fund up to 950 million euros. As of today, Wintershall Dea has paid out 730 million euros for the project," the press service said.

In May, the press service of Wintershall Dea told TASS that approximately 75% of the amount of 950 million euros stipulated by the agreement in April 2017 had been allocated to finance the project - which is, approximately, 712 million euros.

Earlier it was reported that the British-Dutch oil giant Shell and Austrian OMV completed financing the project. OMV allocated about 729 million euros to finance the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, noting that the agreement on financing the project limited the amount to 950 million euros and no changes were made to the document. Shell did not disclose the investment amount.

Uniper Chief Financial Officer Sascha Bibert announced on November 10 that the company had invested 700 million euros of the promised amount of 950 million euros to finance the Nord Stream 2 project. This amount has not changed since May.

"Uniper has always fulfilled its obligations as one of five financial partners of the Nord Stream 2 project and has provided its financial share," a spokesperson with Uniper told TASS.

The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction of two pipeline strings with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. To date, 94% of Nord Stream 2 has been finished. The construction was suspended at the end of 2019 when the Swiss pipe-laying company Allseas stopped work due to US sanctions.

On November 28, Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the pipeline, announced that it plans to resume pipe-laying work this December. The construction will be conducted in the exclusive economic zone of Germany. The operator did not disclose the name of the pipe-laying vessel that will be used.