ST. PETERSBURG, April 12. /TASS/. The Russian Energy Ministry of Russia is confident in the implementation of the project for construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Thursday.
"Systematic work to obtain the necessary permits from countries, the exclusive economic zone territory and territorial waters, where the pipeline will run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, is in progress. Germany has made a decision, and Finland literally today made the final decision. We are systemically working with other states, in particular with Denmark and Sweden. We are confident that the project will be implemented, because it is primarily commercial, and European consumers and companies are interested in it. This is a major infrastructure project," he said.
The project operator Nord Stream-2 AG has already received a full set of permits for the construction and operation of the gas pipeline from Germany and Finland. Procedures for obtaining permits in other countries along the pipeline route - Russia, Sweden and Denmark - are expected on schedule.
The Nord Stream-2 project involves construction of two gas pipeline lines with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters of gas per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. It will bypass the transit states - Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other Eastern European and Baltic countries and will pass through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of five states - Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
The total cost of the project is estimated at 9.5 bln euro. Commissioning of Nord Stream - 2 is scheduled for the end of 2019. The only shareholder of Nord Stream 2 AG is Gazprom. Gazprom's European partners in the project are German Uniper and Wintershall, Austrian OMV, French Engie and Anglo-Dutch Shell.