BERLIN, April 19. /TASS/. The public debate on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has begun in Germany, Nord Stream 2 spokesman Jens Mueller told TASS.

"I can confirm this," he said.

About 6,000 documents concerning the construction and use of the 85-km stretch of the pipeline in Germany’s territorial waters have become accessible for the public Tuesday in the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.

They will be available until May 17 in the offices of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH) in Hamburg and Rostock, and in other governmental bodies in other cities.

The public debate will involve representatives of more than 80 various authorities.

For the project to get the green light, Russia needs to obtain permissions for the construction and use of the pipeline from the authorities in Russia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is expected to come into service at the end of 2019. The pipeline is set to run from the Russian coast along the Baltic Sea bed to the German shore. Each of the pipeline’s two stretches will have a capacity of 27.5 bln cubic meters. The new pipeline will double the capacity of the first stretch and will basically follow its route. Capital expenditures on the project are estimated at 8 bln euro and its total cost will amount to 9.9 bln euro, taking into account project financing.