According to Der Spiegel, Germany’s Ministry of Economy is currently considering nationalising a section of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. In this case, the project would be connected to an liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Baltic Sea.
If this plan is carried out, Russia could answer by nationalising German companies in Russian territory as well as other legal actions. In this perspective, the Ministry of Economy also assesses the possibility of building a second pipeline parallel to Nord Stream 2 – which wouldn’t prevent Russian retribution, but would decrease it.
Last June, the project’s operator Gazprom stated that Nord Stream 2 is ready for operation at any time, but the economy is not. The company redirected unclaimed capacities for the pipeline for North-Western District supplies.
Construction is concluded since September 2021, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also said that the pipeline won’t start its activities amid the invasion of Ukraine.
Nord Stream 2 is 1,230km long and its total cost is estimated at €9.5bn.
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