The 1,224-km Nord Stream underwater pipeline, which passes through five economic zones in the Baltic region, will deliver natural gas from the Russian Federation directly to 26 million European households; it will also contribute to reduction in carbon dioxide emissions when replacing coal. Its first leg was launched in November 2011.

Nord Stream meets international environmental standards in implementing the pipeline project and observes national and international environmental, maritime and legal requirements, including to the Convention    on    the    Environmental    Impact    Assessment    in    a Transboundary Context (Espoo, 1991). Nord Stream plans to invest approximately €40 million into its environmental and social monitoring programmes and is committed to sharing its existing survey data with the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission. The data gathered during the monitoring programmes will provide input for the Commission’s Baltic Sea Action Plan, which aims to restore the good ecological status of the Baltic marine environment by 2021.

Source: Nord Stream (www.nord-stream.com).