Gazprom, Partners Invested Over 6 Bln Euros in Nord Stream-2 - Wintershall CEO

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - More than 6 billion euros ($6.8bln) has been invested in the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, Wintershall CEO Mario Meren wrote in an article published on the Danish news portal Altinget.

"To date, more than 6 billion euros has been invested," the head of Wintershall, which is one of Gazprom’s European partners in the project, said in the article.

He said the partners on Nord Stream-2 hoped for speedy issuance of permits for the gas pipeline construction by Denmark.

According to Wintershall CEO Mario Meren, when implementing the project along with an alternative route, which passes northeast of Bornholm, the political factor should not affect Denmark's decision whether to allow the construction of such an important infrastructure for Europe.

"The alternative route meets all technological and environmental parameters," he noted.

READ MORE: EU Parl't Backs Resolution Condemning Nord Stream 2 as Threat to Energy Security

Meren stated that this fact has already been confirmed by a study by the Danish consulting company Ramboll, as well as during the recent public hearings that the Danish Energy Agency has held on Bornholm.

Nord Stream 2 is a joint venture of Russia's energy giant Gazprom and five European companies. It aims to deliver 55 billion cubic meters (1.9 trillion cubic feet) of Russian natural gas annually to the European Union via the Baltic Sea and Germany and is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2019.

The pipeline project has been welcomed by some countries in Europe and opposed by a number of others, including Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States.