Finland issues second permit to Nord Stream 2

Finland has issued a permit to use Finnish waters for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction. The document was issued by the Southern Finland Regional State Administrative Agency, TASS reported. The statement of agency indicated that the permit was issued in accordance with the Finnish waters using law.

The Nord Stream 2 will pass through the territorial waters and economic zones of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. A full set of permits has already been issued by Germany. In early April, Finland granted its first permit.

The Nord Stream 2 project involves construction of two gas pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. The total cost is estimated at 9.5 billion Euros. Gazprom is the only shareholder of the project.

Gazprom's European partners in the project are the German Uniper and Wintershall, Austrian OMV, the French Engie and the Anglo-Dutch Shell. In Ukraine they insist that the project will establish Russia's "absolute monopoly" in the European gas market.