Pipelaying for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project started on Wednesday in the Gulf of Finland, according to an announcement from developer Nord Stream 2 AG.
The 300-meters-long and 41-meters-wide vessel will lay pipes around the clock, seven days a week.
The company said that prior to the project's pipelaying phase, the offshore pipelay vessel, Solitaire, was equipped and tested to meet the project鈥檚 strict requirements while working in the congested Finnish exclusive economic zone.
Safety operations in cooperation with the Finnish Transport Agency and Border Guard were agreed, the company said.
"Pipelay works are carried out in compliance with the national permit provisions and overseen by the national authorities," the company added.
"Nord Stream 2's construction plan takes into consideration different construction conditions, in particular environmental requirements. Solitaire, for example, uses a dynamic positioning system with thrusters to position itself accurately. It is thus only the pipeline that touches the seabed. Using a vessel operating without anchors ensures additional safety in the congested Gulf of Finland," the company explained.
The Nord Stream 2 will carry Russian natural gas to the European market through the Baltic Sea.
The pipeline plans to carry 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to Germany.
By Firdevs Yuksel
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr