Finland to back Nord Stream gas pipeline project
By Ria Novosti, IANSWednesday, October 7, 2009
BRUSSELS - Finland, which earlier raised environmental concerns over the proposed 1,200-km long Nord Stream gas pipeline project, is set to give its approval to the project, a report said Wednesday.
Finland’s Minister of European and Migration Affairs Astrid Thors expected his country to give an environmental approval to the project. The pipeline will pass through under the Baltic Sea from Siberia to Europe, a Belgian radio report said.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2012. The first of two parallel pipelines, with a transport capacity of about 27.5 billion cubic metre per annum, will be operational in 2010.
The pipeline is being jointly built by Russia’s Gazprom, Germany’s E.ON and BASF, and Dutch firm Gasunie at an estimated cost of $12 billion.
–RIA Novosti
