Nord Stream 2 could be completed by October
The pipelaying for Nord Stream 2 - which has a little less than 100km of pipeline remaining - could stand to be completed by October, according to the information contained in a regulatory document.
A schedule from the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) puts forth a 25-week window for completing the Danish section of the pipeline, which is set to end in mid-September.
Read more: Germany aims for new deal as US continue to monitor Nord Stream 2
Initial projection hinted the line would be completed in Danish waters this week, but delays and sanctions have put the project on hold for over a year.
The Akademic Cherskiy, the replacement pipelining vessel brought in after sanctions against European companies assisting in the pipeline's completion were introduced during the Trump administration, is still docked in Kaliningrad.
It was set to join fellow Russian ship Fortuna - which commenced pipelaying earlier this year - in finishing up the remaining pipeline.
Argus Media reports that no start date for pipelaying has been confirmed and the developer revealed that "everything depends" on sea trials.
65.8 km (40 miles) of pipeline remains to be laid in Danish waters - roughly 2.63 km per week - on Line A, where most of the work has been stalled.
Inefficient scheduling and poor weather have reportedly also caused further delays.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Germany that laying the pipeline could go against their best interests as well as undermining Ukraine.
The US has been opposed to the project for more than a decade, believing it may make Germany and the rest of Western Europe too reliant on an unstable foreign power.
Many of the current energy lines run through Ukraine and Poland, and the US is also concerned that the pipeline could stand to affect their sovereignty.
While meeting with NATO leaders, Secretary Blinken said: “President Biden has been very clear, he believes the pipeline is a bad idea, bad for Europe, bad for the United States, ultimately it is in contradiction to the EU’s own security goals.
“It has the potential to undermine the interests of Ukraine, Poland and a number of close partners and allies. US law has required Washington to impose sanctions on companies participating in the Nord Stream 2 project."
As of March 5, when work commenced again, 110 km of pipeline remained to be laid before the project's completion. Aside from the 65 km of Line A that remains, a further 56km remains to be placed from Line B.
Read more: France urges Germany to ditch Nord Stream 2 over Navalny arrest
Pipelaying on Line B in Danish waters is expected to be completed by the end of May, according to the DEA's schedule.
Fortuna has reportedly been laying an average of 415 metres of pipeline per day, consistent with earlier estimates.
As is stands, Nord Stream 2 will continue to cause sour relations between the US and EU.
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