German Regulator Says Eco Groups Should Justify Demand To Stop Work On Nord Stream 2

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2021) Germany's Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) told Sputnik that it expects explanations from two environmental groups that have filed complaints to halt the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Earlier on Monday, the NDR broadcaster reported that eco groups Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and NABU have challenged the BSH decision to extend the permit for Nord Stream 2 pipelay work. BSH confirmed receiving the complaints and temporarily revoked its permission, coming just days after the regulator green-lighted an extension of the work on the pipeline until the end of May.

"The protest needs to be justified, then BSH will make a decision � either rejecting the protest or accepting it.

But we need time to study this," the regulator said, noting that "it is impossible to say" how long it will take to review the complaints.

The agency added that it did "not want to speculate" on what consequences the procedure might have for the duration of the pipelay work.

The work to complete Nord Stream 2 resumed in December after a one-year hiatus triggered by a threat of US sanctions, which forced Swiss pipelay company Allseas to exit the project. The twin pipeline will carry up to 1.942 trillion cubic feet of Russian gas per year to Germany via the Baltic Sea.