Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Nord Stream 2 AG | Nov-20

Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Table of Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................... 3
Surveys ..................................................................................................................... 4
Cultural Heritage....................................................................................................... 5
Russia................................................................................................................................... 6
Finland .................................................................................................................................. 6
Sweden ................................................................................................................................. 6
Denmark ............................................................................................................................... 7
Germany ............................................................................................................................... 7

Logistics .................................................................................................................... 8
Construction Activities .......................................................................................... 10
Preparatory Activities ............................................................................................ 10
Munitions Clearance ........................................................................................................... 10
Trenching ............................................................................................................................ 11
Rock Placement .................................................................................................................. 12
Cable Crossings ................................................................................................................. 13

Landfall Russia ....................................................................................................... 14

Landfall Facilities ................................................................................................................ 14
Onshore Pipelaying............................................................................................................. 14
Offshore Pipelaying............................................................................................................. 15

Offshore – Pipelaying ............................................................................................. 16

Pipelaying Process ............................................................................................................. 16
Pipelay Vessels .................................................................................................................. 18

Landfall Germany ................................................................................................... 19

Landfall Facilities ................................................................................................................ 19
Microtunneling .................................................................................................................... 19

Environmental Monitoring ..................................................................................... 21

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Introduction
The EU’s domestic gas production is in rapid decline. To meet demand, the EU needs reliable,
affordable and sustainable new gas supplies. The Nord Stream 2 Pipeline will provide this by
transporting gas from the world’s largest reserves in Russia to the internal EU market,
increasing security of supply and contributing to the objectives of the European energy policy.

With its state-of-the-art technology, the pipeline will offer reliable, economic and
environmentally sound natural gas supplies over the coming decades, building on the proven
experience of the existing Nord Stream Pipeline system and the mutually beneficial long-term
energy relationship between the EU and Russia.

The twin pipeline will stretch over 1,230 kilometres through the Baltic Sea from the Russian to
the German coast and will run largely parallel to the existing Nord Stream Pipeline system.
On each end, landfall facilities connect the system with the Russian and European networks,
with the pipeline laid along the seabed in between.

Nord Stream 2 works with some of the world’s leading suppliers and applies rigorous health,
safety, environmental and social standards to protect the sensitive Baltic Sea at every step of
preparation and construction. All works are carried out in compliance with national permit
conditions and monitored for potential impacts on the environment and marine life.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Surveys

Before and during construction, Nord Stream 2 has conducted thorough survey operations,
which are the cornerstone of massive international infrastructure projects like the offshore
pipeline. The data plays a pivotal role in enabling the project to move forward safely, providing
critical information for engineering, route optimisation, Environmental Impact Assessments
(EIA) and permitting, environmental management and monitoring, financing and insurance,
quality control and operations.

The entire Baltic Sea route from Russia to Germany will have been surveyed from surface to
depths of more than 200 metres for around 71,000 line kilometres. To ensure a clear and safe
route, every detail of the seabed shape have had to be identified. This includes steep slopes,
sediment types and rock outcrops, environmentally sensitive areas, water depth and any items
that could affect pipeline installation and operation, from existing infrastructure to shipwrecks
and unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Using the latest technology to collect some of the most clear 3-D data sets being produced
today, a fleet of more than 80 high-performance vessels has mapped a route that will minimise
the environmental impact and ensure the safe operation of the new natural gas pipeline.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Cultural Heritage

Due to the physical conditions in the Baltic Sea, the preservation of cultural heritage – objects
that represent evidence of past and present human activity – is vital, and the value and
scientific potential are great.

Physical disturbance of the seabed has the potential to damage cultural heritage sites or
render these inaccessible for future research. The pipeline route was therefore optimised to
avoid a negative impact on valuable cultural heritage sites wherever possible.

In the five countries whose waters the pipeline traverses, cultural heritage is protected by
legislation. From the beginning of the planning process for the pipeline, we paid attention to
the effect Nord Stream 2 might have on cultural heritage and cooperated closely with the
relevant cultural heritage authorities and experts in each of these countries. In doing so, we
followed the best practices used in the previously implemented Nord Stream project.

There are a large number of shipwrecks on the seabed of the Baltic Sea that reflect a diverse
group of vessels. Some shipwrecks are of no archaeological interest, whereas others are
unique due to their construction method, the degree of their preservation or special historical
factors. Objects which are more than 100 years old are protected by legislation in the Baltic
Sea Littoral States. The relevant authorities in each country may additionally decide that more
recent wrecks (i.e. aircraft or ships from WWI or WWII) should also be protected.

Comprehensive surveys have been conducted to identify and map features or areas of cultural
heritage to be avoided or safeguarded. The mitigation measures to deal with cultural heritage
finds includes several aspects: avoidance, caution and salvaging finds.

To avoid interference with cultural heritage objects, a minimum buffer distance of at least 50
metres between the pipeline corridor and these objects was recommended by the experts in
many countries such as Finland and Sweden. Placing pipelines at a sufficient distance from
cultural heritage objects can reduce impacts. If intervention works, such as the installation of
rock berms, were necessary, these were conducted with caution, and they also account for
the minimum distances recommended. Any time artefacts had to be moved, Nord Stream 2
decided together with experts how to proceed: Salvaging finds and handing them over to the
authorities or moving them to a safe distance from construction activities.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Russia
The route for the pipeline’s Russian section, known as the Narva Bay route, runs through the
area that was important for the sea trade between Russia and the West Baltic in the past.
Archival evidence about numerous merchant and military ships sunken in Narva Bay confirm
this.

A geophysical reconnaissance survey was carried out for the pipeline in 2015 to 2016 to
gather information about anthropogenic objects on the seabed. In the corridor with a width of
1.5 kilometres, around 10 of the identified objects were classified as potential objects of
cultural heritage, i.e. wrecks or wreck parts. Following this general description of the objects,
further detailed marine archaeological surveys in the corridor of the planned pipeline took
place in summer 2017. The purpose of the research campaign was to determine if the objects
could indeed be classified as cultural heritage. Five of them were recognized as movable
archaeological objects related to marine fishing and shipping. Three of them were recovered
and transported to the Kingisepp Museum of History and Local Lore after field conservation.
These included two horned anchors shaped by press forging and a hook, both of which were
conceivably from the 19th to early 20th centuries. Another object was a water breaker with a
capacity of 12 to 40 litres, which was used as reservoir storage most likely in the 18th to early
20th century. Two other objects were removed from the pipeline corridor: an admiralty anchor
from as early as 1862 and a wooden capstan for a vessel from the 18th to 19th century.

Finland
In Finland, two targets of cultural historical interest were identified: an 18th century
merchantman and a late 18th to early 19th century cannon barge. Two inspected Word War II
targets, a cargo supply ship and an anti-submarine net installation, were also included in the
list as being of historical interest and significance, even though they do not meet the over 100-
year criteria as such.

Together with these sites, a total of 32 potential targets of cultural interest or potential World
War II historical sites are located in an area which extends to up to 1,000 metres away from
the pipeline route. In the Finnish route section, a dynamically positioned vessel was used to
ensure that pipelay activities had no impact on these targets. Due to the distance of the targets
to the pipeline, these targets were not further surveyed and assessed.

Sweden
No cultural heritage objects were identified in the immediate vicinity of the pipeline route in
the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Six potential archaeological shipwrecks were,
however, identified within 50 to 250 meters from the pipeline route. Detailed inspections by
remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) were performed before and after construction to make
sure they were not impacted negatively.

Experts have assessed that with the mitigation measures planned, the overall impact from
the construction and operation of the pipeline on cultural heritage objects in Sweden is of no
or negligible significance.

The probability of encountering submerged settlements along the route within the Swedish
EEZ was very low, as these areas most likely have undergone erosion since submergence

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

or are located at deeper water depths, where it is highly unlikely to find remains. The
relevant cultural heritage authority, the Swedish National Maritime Museums (SMM),
therefore recommended not to investigate the matter further.

Denmark

In Denmark, three different route options were surveyed.

Seven potential wrecks were identified along the original base case route in Danish territorial
waters. Two of these wrecks were found during surveys for the existing Nord Stream
Pipeline and are already registered in the national register of shipwrecks. Along the
alternative route, stretching north-west of Bornholm, eight potential wrecks were identified.
On the third, approved route running south-east of Bornholm, five wrecks of cultural heritage
value were identified. All of them are located 3.5 km – 20 km from the pipeline route. Due to
their distance from the construction area, these objects were not further inspected and
construction was not expected to impact them.

All objects identified during surveys were assessed by marine archaeologists in consultation
with the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces. The route was developed to ensure that
the pipeline avoids any areas of cultural value.

The impact of the construction and operation of the pipeline on cultural heritage objects
(CHO) in Danish waters is therefore expected to be negligible and insignificant. No
dedicated monitoring of cultural heritage objects or further mitigation measures have been
recommended by the Danish authorities. In the unlikely case of chance find of a potential
CHO during inspection surveys, the objects will be evaluated by the Cultural Heritage
Agency and further measures will be agreed upon.

Germany
In German territorial waters, at the threshold of the Bay of Greifswald, several remains of
shipwrecks of archaeological value are located. In 1715, the Swedish marines ballasted some
20 ships in a line to hinder enemy fleets from entering the bay.

For the construction of the existing Nord Stream Pipeline, remains of a ship in the historic
barrier of wrecks were removed by experts and conserved for scientific and historical
purposes. In 2017 and 2018, the remains of wrecks were salvaged in six locations along the
route in close cooperation with the relevant authority, the State Office for Culture and Care
and Preservation of Ancient Monuments and Artefacts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
These locations included two at the threshold of the Bay of Greifswald, two near the Lubmin
beach, and two within and outside the Bay of Greifswald.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Logistics

Nord Stream 2’s logistics concept was designed to supply the materials needed in an efficient,
timely and cost-effective manner, minimising impacts on the sensitive ecosystem of the Baltic
Sea. Low-emissions transportation, such as ships and trains, have been used with the shortest
possible routes. Local workforce, services and service providers around the Baltic Sea have
been used as much as possible.

Production of the approximately 200,000 pipes required steps from plate production, pipe
milling, welding, stretching, treatment of pipe ends (chamfering and bevelling) all the way to
quality control. After quality control, every pipe received an internal anti-friction coating and
an external anti-corrosion coating. The pipes for both pipelines were produced by the German
company EUROPIPE GmbH (41 percent) and the Russian companies United Metallurgical
Company JSC/OMK (31 percent) and Chelyabinsk Pipe-Rolling Plant JSC/ChelPipe (28
percent).

Nord Stream 2 contracted Wasco Coatings, part of the Malaysian-based energy group Wasco
Energy, to provide concrete coating, storing and logistics services for the more than 2,400
kilometres of pipes needed for the project.

To ensure that the pipeline would be laid as efficiently as possible, four ports were chosen to
serve as the project’s logistics hubs. Kotka on the Finnish coast and Mukran on the island of
Rügen, Germany, were selected as locations for the concrete weight coating plants and
interim storage yards. Koverhar Harbour in Hanko, Finland, and the Port of Karlshamn in
Sweden were selected as additional interim storage yards to ensure short transport distances
to the pipeline route.

The steel pipes were transported from the pipe mills by rail to the concrete weight coating
plants on the Baltic Sea coast: Kotka in Finland and Mukran in Germany by the Russian
Railways, Finnish VR Transport and DB Cargo Deutschland AG respectively. A small number
of pipes were coated in ChelPipe’s subcontractor’s plant in Volzhsky, Russia, and transported
by rail directly to the storage yard in Koverhar in Hanko, Finland.

At the coating plants, the pipes received a concrete weight coating, doubling their weight from
approximately 12 tonnes to 24 tonnes each. The extra weight is necessary to increase the
pipeline’s stability on the seabed and add mechanical protection during handling, transport
and pipelay operations, as well as protecting it on the seabed from external damage.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Wasco concrete weight-coated approximately 102,400 pipes in its coating plant in Kotka and
approximately 89,100 in Mukran. From these coating plants, pipes were then transported to
interim storage yards in Koverhar and Karlsham. A total of 36,600 pipes were stored in
Karlshamn and 54,200 in Koverhar before being transported to the pipelay vessel at the time
of construction.

The handling and transport of the pipes to storage yards in Koverhar and Karlshamn as well
as storage activities were provided by Wasco’s Danish pipe transport sub-contractor, Blue
Water Shipping A/S special pipe carrier vessels transport the pipe segments to the pipelay
vessels. On board the pipelay vessels, the pipes are welded onto the pipeline and then
lowered to their designated place on the seafloor.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Construction Activities
Preparatory Activities

Munitions Clearance
After the World Wars, mine lines were abandoned and numerous conventional and chemical
munitions were dumped in the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 2 has carried out extensive and
detailed surveys to verify that the seabed is safe for the construction and operation of the
pipeline. When the pipeline is complete, more than 71,000 line kilometres of seabed will have
been inspected, adding to the comprehensive data already collected prior to the construction
of the Nord Stream Pipeline in operation.

Nord Stream 2 has optimised the pipeline route to avoid munitions wherever feasible.
Conventional munitions that could not be avoided through localised rerouting were cleared on
location, if these measures were consistent with safe practice and in agreement with the
relevant authorities. The data and experience gained from the previous project were utilised
for planning the clearance methods, mitigation measures and monitoring of the environmental
impacts according to the highest standards.

Nord Stream 2 contracted international munitions clearance experts to remove and dispose
of such objects where required. Generally, this included either removal or clearance through
in situ detonation, the latter of which is only applicable to conventional munitions. Extensive
mitigation measures were used to reduce potential environmental impacts, including the use
of bubble curtains. The basic principles of the munitions clearance method involved placing a
small charge next to the identified object on the seabed using a remotely operated vehicle
(ROV) or divers. These charges were then detonated from a surface support ship located at
a safe distance from the target. In the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), munitions
were cleared using ROVs, thus limiting the risk for the personnel onboard the vessels involved
in the munitions clearance. In shallower waters in Germany, divers were also used.

In Finland, a detailed munition-by-munition clearance plan was developed for each individual
object. The companies contracted for the clearance operation used four vessels, with two
vessels working simultaneously on one munition: a main disposal vessel and a bubble curtain
vessel for mitigating the noise impact of underwater explosions on marine life. Marine mammal

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

observers on board the main vessel

conducted visual observations searching
for marine mammals and other sea life.
Passive acoustic monitoring and fish
scanning monitoring to detect marine
mammals and/or fish were carried out.
Operations would have been postponed
should a mammal be seen within a two
kilometre zone. No mammals were
observed during the operations. Acoustic
deterrent devices, i.e. seal scrammers,
were deployed to scare any marine Bubble curtains mitigate the noise impact of underwater explosions
mammals and fish away from the on marine life.
clearance area within the one to two
kilometre mitigation zone.

In Germany, some 77 UXO items were identified and removed with assistance from the local
authorities. No munitions were removed via in situ detonation in Germany.

In the Swedish EEZ, the route was re-routed to avoid the finds, whereas in the Finnish EEZ,
a total of 74 munitions were cleared. Of these, 58 were detonated using bubble curtains.

In Russian waters, the Baltic Fleet carried out the required clearance.

In Denmark, the chosen route through Danish waters was the result of a multi-stage permitting
process. The route corridor was designed to avoid any conventional or chemical munitions
and was chosen by Danish authorities as the best option from both an environmental and
safety perspective. Dedicated munitions screening surveys were performed during the design
phase to ensure that no munitions are present within the installation corridor. All munitions
finds were evaluated by munitions experts in consultation with the relevant Danish authorities.
Furthermore, procedures are in place to handle unexpected munition finds during the
construction and operations phase to ensure safety.

The monitoring results from the existing Nord Stream Pipeline have shown that the impacts of
munitions clearance were smaller than assessed.

Trenching
Although the route has been optimised, some seabed preparation works were still necessary
to safely install the pipelines. Preparation works were required at different locations before
and after pipelines were laid to guarantee stability, provide support and protection at crossings
with existing infrastructure and ensure a stable foundation. During normal operation, the
pipeline can move on the seabed. Potential changes in topography are detected by
maintenance surveys, and seabed intervention works will be performed if needed.

The offshore installation of the pipelines along some sections of the route, especially in
shallow waters, required additional stabilisation and/or protection against hydrodynamic

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

loading (e.g. waves, currents), which was

achieved by trenching the pipeline into the
seabed where rock placement is deemed
impractical.

Pipeline installation in a pre-lay excavated

trench by means of dredging was the
preferred trenching method in these
shallow-water areas, such as in the vicinity
of the landfalls. In deeper waters, the most
commonly used trenching method was
post-lay ploughing, where trenching is
performed after pipelay. During pipelay, a plough is towed by a powerful surface support
vessel, creating a trough of pre-determined length, depth and width. Partial, natural backfilling
occurs over time as a result of currents close to the seabed. Ploughing was implemented to
entrench a short section of each pipeline in the Swedish EEZ.

At the landfalls in Russia and Germany, the pipelines were entirely buried in the seabed to
ensure their stability. The excavated material was removed, temporarily stored and then used
for backfilling.

Rock Placement
Due to the uneven nature of the seabed in the Baltic Sea, rock placement was required along
certain sections of the route to ensure that pipeline integrity is maintained for the 50-year
design lifetime of the pipeline system.

The seabed along the entire route was carefully surveyed ahead of pipelay. Rock material
serves as basement structures and protection at pipeline crossing areas as well as providing
stability wherever required. The types of rock placement include installation of rock berm
supports (before and after pipelay) and rock cover (after pipelay) at precise locations. The
rock material is granite with an average size of 60 millimetres. To minimise the environmental
impact, only clean, freshly crushed rocks are used. They may not contain contaminants, such
as heavy metals that could be dissolved in the
water, or clay, silt, lime or vegetation.

Due to the uneven seabed in some locations,

the pipeline may have to cross a ravine or
valley, effectively forming a “bridge” with a free
space beneath it, called a freespan. Rock
placement conducted before pipelay is the main
method to mitigate freespans.

Technicians load rock onto FPV Bravenes in Inkoo, Finland. The contractor in charge of all rock placement
used dynamically positioned fallpipe vessels
(FPVs).

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Rock material has been transported by the FPV to each of the positions where rock placement
is required. The fallpipe traverses the water column to accurately install the rock at the pre-
determined berm locations on the seabed. The lower end of the fallpipe is fitted with a state-
of-the-art remotely operated vehicle (ROV) which guides the FPV during the operation to
ensure that the rock is installed per design.

Most of the rock placement will have taken place in the Gulf of Finland due to its uneven
seabed. Just over half of the total amount of the estimated rock material for the project was
used in Finnish waters, a third in Russian, and around 10 percent in Swedish waters. Rock
placement requirements in German and Danish waters are negligible.

Cable Crossings
The route crosses power and
telecommunications cables, the two
existing Nord Stream Pipelines and
infrastructure that has been
implemented in the Baltic Sea. At
crossing locations, concrete mattresses
were placed over the cables for their
protection. When a pipeline crosses
another pipeline, the placement of rock
berms is often also required in addition
to mattresses. Concrete mattresses keep a pipeline separated from a cable (the
black line).

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Russian Landfall

Landfall Facilities
The Russian section of the pipeline is divided into a 3.7 kilometre-long onshore segment and
a 114 kilometre-long offshore segment.

The starting point of the pipeline is located on the coast of Narva Bay in the Kingisepp district
of the Leningrad region. Gas that flows into the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline will come from the
Northern Corridor of Russia’s Unified Gas Supply System (UGSS) to the Slavyanskaya
compressor station, some 5 kilometres from the landfall facilities. Here, the gas will be
pressurised to secure transportation without intermediate compressor stations along the route.

The compressor station and the pipeline are connected by four underground pipelines that are
operated by Gazprom. The landfall is 3.8 kilometres away from the shore at the landfall
facilities. It is equipped with all systems necessary to monitor the parameters of the incoming
gas and ensure safe operations, including the Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG) trap area and
shut-down valves, as well as systems to monitor gas flow.

The Russian onshore section of the pipeline passes through the Kurgalsky nature reserve. To
ensure the smallest possible environmental footprint, this section was built using an innovative
open-cut construction method. Use of trench boxes reduced the width of the construction
corridor and related impacts by some 50 percent.

The technique also helped preserve local hydrology since no draining of the trench was
required for pipeline installation. The entire area was restored once construction was
complete. A 30 metre-wide corridor directly above the pipeline is being kept free of trees, as
required by Russian safety standards. Vegetation is returning to this area naturally.

Onshore Pipelaying
The starting point of the pipeline system is in Russia’s Narva Bay in the Kingisepp district of
the Leningrad region. At this location, the pipeline route crosses a protected area, the
Kurgalsky peninsula, over a distance of approximately 6.2 kilometres, of which approximately
3.7 kilometres are onshore and 2.5 kilometres offshore.

Nord Stream 2 appointed a world-leading contractor to employ a design that adheres to the
requirements for minimising the corridor and any other environmental impacts associated with
the construction.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Following an in-depth study, the contractor came up with the trench box construction method,
a method that has a substantially smaller environmental impact than the conventional
approach. The method relied on trench boxes to maintain vertical trench walls and reduce the
width of the trench, allowing the pipelines to be laid within a 30-metre corridor, or right of way,
through the most sensitive habitat.

In addition to reducing the footprint, this method also reduced the amount of excavated
material by approximately 70 percent when compared to a conventional unsupported trench.
Installation in a flooded trench limited the dewatering required during construction. This
ensured that groundwater levels during and after construction will not be altered, keeping
surface hydrology in its natural condition and safeguarding the habitats which rely on a high
water table for their survival.

The trench box method required pipe fabrication at two locations rather than alongside the
trench: on the laybarge and at the gas inlet terminal. The pipeline strings were pulled from the
pipe-lay barge anchored nearshore and welded at a temporary welding station established
adjacent to the gas inlet facility. The two parts were welded together on the eastern margin of
the dune. This installation method required almost no heavy equipment on site during pipeline
installation and limited the number of vehicles used, significantly lowering the width required
for the corridor as well as noise emissions and associated disturbances during the pipeline
installation phase. After installation of the pipelines, the trench boxes were extracted, the
trench was backfilled and a vegetation cover is being allowed to grow naturally.

Lateral thinking and the application of advanced construction techniques enabled us to find a
safe, reliable and environmentally acceptable design solution that minimises habitat loss,
reduces the severance effect on continuous habitats and preserves the hydrological regime
of the area.

Offshore Pipelaying
The seabed had to be prepared before pipelaying could begin. In the nearshore approach to
the Russian landfall, this included dredging and backfilling. The pipelines were buried in the
seabed to ensure that water and sand movements do not affect their stability, which required
the excavation of a trench using dredgers. The excavated materials were removed, stored
temporarily and then used for backfilling where possible. Nearshore and offshore construction
activities used two state-of-the art pipelaying vessels, with these two sections of the pipeline
welded together in a later stage in a procedure known as an Above-Water Tie-In (AWTI).
During an AWTI, two previously laid pipe ends laying opposite of each other are raised above
the water, welded together, tested for quality and then replaced on the seafloor.

Throughout construction, comprehensive environmental monitoring was carried out for the
onshore and offshore sections. Responsible external authorities in Russia confirmed the
activities did not exceed the thresholds set in the environmental impact assessment.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Offshore – Pipelaying

Pipelaying Process
Constructing an underwater pipeline is a major undertaking. Over 200,000 pipes will be
needed to create both strings of Nord Stream 2. Pipelay began in early September 2018 in
the Gulf of Finland by pipelay vessel Solitaire, in a carefully planned and tightly managed
process. During the construction phase, up to five individual pipelay vessels has been building
the pipeline at a rate of approximately 3 kilometres per day. Several measures have been
taken to minimise disturbance to the sensitive Baltic Sea environment, which has dense
shipping traffic and historic sea mines.

Safety and environmental protection were the foremost considerations throughout

construction. The individual 12-metre,12-tonne steel pipes produced at plants in Germany and
Russia have a constant internal diameter of 1,153 mm and a wall thickness of up to 41 mm.
The pipes have been coated internally to reduce friction, and externally to reduce corrosion.
Finally, a concrete coating on top increases protection and doubles their weight, making the
pipeline more stable on the seabed.

Nord Stream 2 contracted some of the world’s leading contractors to install the pipeline
through the Baltic Sea: Allseas, Saipem and MRTS JSC. The pipelay vessels operated by
Allseas, i.e. Solitaire, Audacia and Pioneering Spirit, have installed a total of about 2,200
kilometres of the two pipeline strings. Saipem’s pipelay barge Castoro Dieci pulled ashore the
final section of the pipeline and connected it to the landfall in Germany. It also performed the
AWTI that connected the pipeline sections in German waters. Russia-based MRTS JSC
installed the starting section of the twin pipeline in the shallow waters off the Russian coast
with pipelay barge Fortuna, including the two AWTIs close to the Russian landfall.

Each pipelay vessel is a floating factory where the pipes are received from carrier vessels,
welded together and then installed on the seabed in sections. In the first step, the pipes are
delivered to the vessels by pipe carrier vessels regularly. To prepare the pipes for welding,
the ends are bevelled to make them exactly the right shape to be fitted together. The inside of
the pipe is then cleaned using compressed air before it is conveyed to the double-joint welding
station. Here, the 12-metre pipe joints are aligned and welded together to create a double-
joint segment measuring 24 metres.

The double-joint is moved to a non-destructive testing station where every millimetre of the
weld undergoes automatic ultrasonic testing (AUT) to detect any unacceptable flaws. Any

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defects are removed and the weld is rescanned to ensure it meets international standards.
Following AUT, the double-joint is moved in a pipe elevator to the central assembly line. There,
the insides are checked for debris and the double joint is aligned with the main pipe string in
preparation for welding. The double-joint is then joined to the end of the pipeline using a semi-
automatic welding process. Qualified welding inspectors oversee each of the steps and
authorities approved the welding procedures.

Following welding, the weld between the double-joint and the main pipeline undergoes AUT.
Any unacceptable flaws are removed and the weld is re-scanned to ensure it meets
international standards. Once the weld is confirmed acceptable, a corrosion resistant heat-
shrink sleeve is applied over the circumferential girth weld and polyurethane foam is poured
into a form surrounding the weld area. This foam hardens, providing further protection.

The completed pipeline will undergo rigorous testing and assessment by an independent
certification body. Once the safety of the pipeline is assured, gas will be able to flow directly
from the world’s largest natural gas reserves into the EU’s internal energy market.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Pipelay Vessels

Solitaire
• Dynamically positioned pipelay vessel, operator: Allseas Group S.A.
• Performed offshore pipelaying in deep water sections
• 2 double-joint factories (each with 3 welding stations and 1 Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
station), 5 welding stations for double joints, 1 NDT station and 4 coating stations
• Solitaire can lay pipes in depths between 18 and 2,775 metres
• Lay rate of approximately 4 km/day
• Accommodation capacity: 420 people
• Size: 300 metres by 41 metres

Pioneering Spirit
• Largest constructionvessel in the world, dynamically positioned, operator: Allseas Group S.A.
• Used for offshore construction in deep water sections
• Double-joint factory, 5 line-up stations, 2 stations for combined external/internal welding
• Firing line with 6 (double joint) welding stations, 1 NDT station and 6 coating stations
• Pipelaying can be conducted at a depth of up to 4,000 metres
• Lay rate of up to 5 km/day
• Accommodation capacity: 571 people
• Size: 382 metres by 124 metres

Audacia
• Dynamically positioned pipelay vessel, operator: Allseas Group S.A., built 2005
• Used as an anchored vessel (10 anchors) for offshore pipelay in German waters
• Firing line with 7 (single joint) welding stations, 1 NDT station and 3 coating stations
• Pipelaying from a depth of 18 metres down to 2,775 metres
• Lay rate approximately 1.2 km/day
• Accommodation capacity: 270 people
• Size: 225 metres by 32 metres

Castoro Dieci (C10)

• Anchor positioned offshore pipelay barge with low draught and no means of self-propulsion,
operator: Saipem
• Used for nearshore pipelay works in Germany and landfall installation
• Up to 6 pipe lifting davits may be mounted on the main deck to facilitate the tie-in of pipelines
above water
• Accommodation capacity: 168 people
• Size: 164.62 metres (with stinger) by 36.57 metres

Fortuna
• Multipurpose flat-bottomed pipelay barge, 12-point anchor barge, operator: MRTS
• Used for nearshore pipelay works in the Russian section, pipelay at a depth up to 200 metres
• 6 welding stations, 1 repair station, 2 coating stations, an anode installation station and an
NDT station and a 47-metre long stinger
• Equipped with 6 davit cranes to perform above-water tie-ins
• Accommodation capacity: 310 people
• Size: 169 metres by 46 metres

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

German Landfall

Landfall Facilities
PIG Receiving Station
The pipeline inspection gauge (PIG) receiving station is the Nord Stream 2 part of the German
Landfall in Lubmin. It is the logistical link between the pipeline and the European pipeline
network. The onshore facilities of the receiving station include service buildings, the PIG
receivers and the important safety shut-down valves. In the event of malfunctions, these
valves reliably separate the offshore section of the pipeline from the station's land area.

When the pipeline is commissioned, gas transport through the pipeline system will be
monitored and controlled 24 hours a day from the dispatching centre in Zug, Switzerland,
where the project company is based. The data from the various sensors for monitoring
pressure, temperature, gas quality and gas flow, among other things, are forwarded to the
control centre. In addition, control consoles will be installed in Lubmin to enable on-site
operation of the pipeline components.

Gas Receiving Station

From the PIG receiving station, the natural gas will flow to the adjacent gas receiving station
of Gascade, and from there into the NEL (North European Gas Pipeline) and EUGAL
(European Gas Link) onshore connecting pipelines.

Two connected safety shut-down valves separate the landfall area from the downstream
measuring and control area of the station. In this section of the facilities, the quality of the
incoming and outgoing gas flows is examined, the gas is measured and its pressure and
volumes adapted for transfer to the downstream pipelines. Safety valves protect the two
pipelines from exceeding the maximum permissible pressure.

Microtunneling
In the Bay of Greifswald, the twin pipelines were laid approximately 1.5 metres below the
seabed. Approximately 350 metres before Lubmin beach, the pipelines enter two microtunnels
which run all the way to the PIG receiving station. The microtunnels pass under the coastal
area and the infrastructure north of the PIG receiving station: the shallow water area, the
beach, the dune, the coastal forest, supply lines, a road and a railway track. This construction
option greatly minimised the environmental impact of the pipelines’ construction works.

The two microtunnels were built by pipe jacking, a trenchless construction method. Each
tunnel is about 700 metres long and consists of over 200 concrete pipes with an external

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

diameter of 2.5 metres, a wall thickness of 225 millimetres and a length of three metres. The
concrete pipe sections were prefabricated in a dedicated factory and transported to the
construction site.

From a specially prepared launch pit, a tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavated the
microtunnels at a depth of up to 10 metres below the waterline and the pipe sections were
driven toward their target location, the offshore exit point of the pipelines. As the excavation
progressed, the concrete pipes were lowered into the launch pit one after the other. Soil
loosened by the TBM (drill cuttings) was separated from the drilling fluid, removed and
appropriately disposed of. The cleaned drilling fluid was then reused in the drilling process.

After the TBMs reached the target

location, all the equipment and
fixtures required to drive the
microtunnels were dismantled and
removed. The TBMs were
recovered at the offshore exit point
using an appropriately equipped
vessel. The tunnels were then
prepared for the installation of the
pipelines. The annular gap
between the inner walls of the
tunnels and the gas pipeline was
insulated and filled with a special Schematic illustration of microtunnel construction equipment
mortar.

Because Nord Stream 2 was built in several phases, various sections, such as the offshore
and onshore sections, needed to be connected in an AWTI. In German waters, there were
three AWTI operations. Each time, two previously laid pipe ends opposite of each other were
raised above the water, welded together, tested for quality and then replaced on the seafloor.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Environmental Monitoring

Independent contractors have been monitoring the actual impacts on the environment and
marine life before, during and after construction along the pipeline route to ensure that
construction impacts remain within the limits laid out in approved permitting documents.

Environmental monitoring takes place in a wide range of different categories: water quality,
seabed sediments, underwater noise, bird populations, marine mammals, flora and fauna, fish
and fisheries, cultural heritage, munitions, maritime traffic, onshore environment, and Natura
2000 areas. National monitoring programmes approved in the countries whose waters the
pipeline passes through verify compliance with the project’s permit provisions. The results are
being provided to the national authorities and summary reports disclosed on the Nord Stream
2 website.

Water quality is measured according to turbidity, or cloudiness caused by suspended seabed

sediment, to ensure that it did not exceed relevant threshold values or that turbidity plume did
not reach sensitive areas. Turbidity plumes have been tracked to measure levels of
suspended sediment in the areas where seabed intervention works have been performed.
Chemical analysis of water samples shows whether changes in water quality have occurred.

Activities that caused underwater noise, such as munitions clearance and rock placement,
were monitored with hydrophones. Noise from munitions clearance was reduced where
necessary with the use of bubble curtains that absorb sound.

Seabirds are monitored from land, sea and air in the coastal and marine areas near the
Russian and German landfalls. These areas are particularly important for migration, nesting,
and foraging. The resulting data are used to determine any construction impacts.

A variety of monitoring methods determine whether construction activities have an impact on

marine mammal populations. Hydrophones have been used to assess if underwater noise
could have any effect on the resident populations, while visual observations and tracking were
conducted to evaluate potential behavioural changes.

Benthic (aquatic) flora and fauna are monitored to document changes during construction,
and their subsequent recovery. Epifauna is expected to colonise the finished twin pipeline in
areas with favourable conditions, and growth will be recorded as part of post-construction
recovery studies. Infauna was monitored where dredging or trenching could disturb the
seabed to follow its recovery as well.

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Background Story: Pipeline Construction

Potential changes to fishery patterns, fish catches or fishing behaviour are evaluated during
and after the pipeline installation. Bottom trawling patterns will need to be adapted in certain
areas due to the presence of the pipelines, but these could potentially become a new habitat
for fish.

Objects of cultural heritage value along the route have been monitored with video surveys
before and after construction. Consultations with the national cultural heritage authorities have
been held to ensure that these artefacts are assessed and safeguarded.

The pipeline route was adjusted to avoid mines and munitions wherever possible, though a
number of conventional munitions had to be cleared. The impact of clearance was reduced
with the use of various mitigation measures. Additionally, monitoring of chemical warfare
agents in seabed sediments ensures that contaminants are not spread during construction.

Extensive onshore monitoring of biological and physio-chemical parameters takes place at

the landfalls in Russia and Germany. Emissions and noise levels are measured near
residential areas to ensure minimal disturbance and compliance with regulatory thresholds.
Baseline monitoring of flora and fauna also documents the state and variety of local
populations. In the sensitive areas at the Russian landfall, monitoring of plants and animal life
is performed throughout construction and operation of the pipeline.

Nord Stream 2 AG
Baarerstrasse 52, 6300 Zug, Switzerland
[email protected]

T: +41 41 414 54 54
F: +41 41 414 54 55

About Nord Stream 2

Nord Stream 2 is a pipeline through the Baltic Sea, which will transport natural gas over
some 1,230 km from the world’s largest gas reserves in Russia via the most efficient route to
consumers in Europe. Nord Stream 2 will largely follow the route and technical concept of
the successful Nord Stream Pipeline. The new pipeline will have the capacity to transport 55
billion cubic metres of gas per year, enough to supply 26 million European households. This
secure supply of natural gas with its low CO2 emissions will also contribute to Europe’s
objective to have a more climate-friendly energy mix with gas substituting for coal in power
generation and providing back-up for intermittent renewable sources of energy such as wind
and solar power.

www.nord-stream2.com

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