Bavarian Leader for Launch of Nord Stream 2 Ahead of 'Cold' Winter, Reports Say

BERLIN (Sputnik) - Germany's Christian Social Union leader and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Soeder told the German Funke media group that it is reasonable to launch the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as soon as possible to stop price growth in Europe ahead of the "cold" winter.

"Nord Stream 2 would just be a safe basis for stable availability of gas in Germany," Soeder told the media group, as quoted by the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) newspaper, adding that it is reasonable to launch the gas pipeline "soon" so that the gas price can regulate itself.

Soeder also said that the authorities can not just watch gas prices rising ahead of the "cold" winter, and people are waiting for this issue to be solved.

The politician mentioned that Germany is gradually cutting down on coal and nuclear power and encounters the growth of energy prices and shortage of resources, which sparks the need for gas power stations.

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which consists of two tubes with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year, was completed on September 10. It will deliver gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The process of certifying Nord Stream 2 AG as the pipeline’s independent operator is currently underway to ensure the project complies with the conditions of the February 12 EU Gas Directive.

Certification will take place in two stages. First, the German regulator, which received a full package of documents necessary for certification in September, will develop a draft decision and then the European Commission will provide an assessment of the draft decision.