Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has confirmed that his government will announce whether it has decided to licence the construction of the Nord Stream pipeline through its economic zone on 5 November 2009, while the West Finland Environment Centre’s permit decision is expected by the end of the year.
The Finnish Environment Centre has requested further environmental data on the proposed construction of the 1,220 km pipeline before it makes its decision.
Denmark has already approved the pipeline leaving both Sweden and Finland to decide.
The announcement comes as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin commented that the competing South Stream pipeline project, joint venture between Russia’s Gazprom and Italy energy company Eni, could come online before Nord Stream, after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
The Nord Stream pipeline is planned to transport natural gas through the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany for connection to the European energy grid. The South Stream Pipeline is expected to deliver gas from Russia and Central Asia to Europe via the Black Sea.
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