BERLIN, October 20. /TASS/. The commissioning of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project may fill the gap on the global energy market, Russian Ambassador to Berlin Sergey Nechayev said in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung newspaper published on Wednesday.
"Natural gas is a long-term and safe source for the energy transition. Without natural gas the transition to alternative energy sources cannot succeed, particularly overnight," he said, adding that amid the global economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic much more natural gas is required. "The respective growth cannot be offset only due to renewable energy. Nord Stream 2 can fill the gap that currently exists on the global energy market," the diplomat said.
The construction of Nord Stream 2 has almost finished, with preliminary testing underway, in line with all environmental safety norms and requirements, he added. "The carbon footprint of Russian natural gas is three times lower than that of the US’ liquified gas," Nechayev stressed, adding that Russia is ready to supply any volume of gas ordered if the respective transit infrastructure permits it.
"We have operating contracts, and we are ready for negotiations if it is necessary to extend them," he said. "I have never heard that the German side is unsatisfied with our contracts. On the contrary, I have only heard positive things," the ambassador noted. Speaking about the upsurge in gas prices in Europe he said that "Russia is not the reason for the [gas] price growth." "Someone obviously wants to hide their own mistakes here," Nechayev said.
The diplomat also expressed hope that the new German government would support Nord Stream 2 as the project meets the interests of both the country’s economy and its population as it ensures energy security. That said, Nord Stream 2 is a multisided project, with several European countries participating, he added.
"Our German partners confirm that Russia’s actions have always been reliable, meeting the agreements reached. Any proposals, for example, saying that we will be weaponizing our gas deliveries are nonsense. We have never done that and will not be doing that after more than 50 years of cooperation," Ambassador said. "That is not an instrument of political pressure for us, but a good deal for all interested sides," he noted.
The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction of two pipelines with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. The works were suspended in December 2019 after Swiss Allseas abandoned the pipe-laying due to possible US sanctions. In December 2020, the construction of the pipeline resumed and was fully completed on September 10, 2021. The commissioning of the gas pipeline is planned by the end of this year. Russia's gas producer Gazprom said earlier that 5.6 bln cubic meters of gas might be delivered via the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline this year.