First line of Nord Stream 2 pipeline filled with gas ready for export – operator

The first of two lines of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been filled with gas as part of final preparations for the start of deliveries to Europe, the project operator announced on Monday.

“As of October 18, the gas-in procedure for the first string of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been completed,” the company said in a press release, adding, “As planned and in line with the system design requirements, the string is filled with some 177 million m3 of so-called technical gas, reaching a pressure of 103 bar in the pipeline.”

According to the operator, “This pressure is sufficient to start gas transportation.”

It said that “pre-commissioning steps for the second string are ongoing. Nord Stream 2 will announce further technical steps in due time.”

The news comes as the project is still awaiting EU clearance to start gas shipments to Europe. Nord Stream 2 consists of two pipelines designed to carry around 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Siberian gas fields in Russia across the Baltic Sea to Germany. The project has hit numerous roadblocks, including opposition from some Eastern European countries and US sanctions.

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