Nord Stream will have its capacity increased to 55 billion cubic meters annually, RIA Novosti reports.
The first stage of the pipeline was completed on November 8, 2011. Gazprom (Russia) owns 51% of the Nord Stream project, Wintershall Holding and E.ON Ruhrgas (Germany) own 15.5% of shares each, GDF Suez (France) and Gasunie (Netherlands) own 9% each.
Nord Stream transports Russian gas to Europe. It is a 1,220 km long pipeline running from Russia’s Vyborg to Germany’s Greifswald along the Baltic Sea. Russia used to transport gas to Western Europe through Belarus, then Poland, and Ukraine, then Slovakia, before the pipeline was launched. The Ukrainian route covered two thirds of gas demands.
Nord Stream runs through exclusive economic zones of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Its first stream construction started in April 2010 and was concluded in June 2011. Construction of the second line started in May 2011, its foundation was done on April 18.
Nord Stream operator was ordered to study construction of new streams for 8 months in May 2012. Gazprom Chief Alexey Miller said in June 2012 that two streams will be built, one may reach the UK. British Petroleum expressed interest in the project.
The main decisions on expansion of the pipeline will be made in late 2012, Miller says.
