The Russian-German joint venture Nord Stream has decided to reassess its planned routing of a natural gas pipeline that is to be set up between Russia and Germany. The pipeline is to run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
"This decision follows analysis of the statements received from the authorities and the public during the international consultation of the Baltic Sea region countries in accordance with the Espoo Convention", says the company in a statement issued on Wednesday last week.
Finnish officials said in late February that the pipeline should take a more southerly route than originally planned, in an area where the sea bottom is more even.
Concerns have been expressed in Sweden and Denmark that the pipeline could run too close to chemical weapons and other war materiel that were dumped at sea after the Second World War.
Nord Stream says that it plans to examine new routing alternatives both in the Gulf of Finland between Finland and Estonia, and near the Swedish island of Gotland and the Danish island of Bornholm.
Some countries on the Baltic Sea have also urged the company to consider the option of an overland pipeline.
The problem with that option is that the pipeline might have to go through countries with which Russia has political differences and disputes over the supply of energy.
Nord Stream is to publish an environmental impact report on the basis of its study, and plans to submit the report to the Baltic Sea countries in the autumn.
