Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the proposed offshore gas pipeline from Russia to Germany passing through Finland’s economic zone
Nord Stream AG is planning to construct a pipeline that would run along the bed of the Baltic Sea for some 1,200 km. Approximately 375 km of the route is proposed to lie within Finland’s exclusive economic zone.
The pipeline is planned to run from Portovaya Bay near Vyborg on the Russian coast of the Gulf of Finland to Greifswalder Bodden in Germany. The proposed route passes through the territorial waters of Russia, Denmark and Germany, as well as the exclusive economic zones of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. A service platform is proposed to be constructed in the Swedish economic zone, east or northeast of Gotland.
The developers hope that the pipeline could be taken into use in 2010, initially with a single pipeline, and then also a second pipeline to be constructed in 2012. The pipeline has been planned by Nord Stream AG, a company set up for this purpose by Gazprom from Russia and the German energy companies E.ON and BASF. The EIA procedure in Finland
Nord Stream AG initiated the Finnish EIA process for the pipeline on 14.11.2006 by submitting an EIA programme to the Uusimaa Regional Environment Centre – the Finnish authority responsible for the EIA procedure. The EIA programme for the section of the pipeline within Finland’s exclusive economic zone is available in Finnish and Swedish.
The Uusimaa Regional Environment Centre issued an official statement on the EIA programme to Nord Stream AG on 27.2.2007, specifying which aspects of the programme should be revised.
Environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context
The pipeline project is covered by the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (also known as the Espoo Convention). In Finland the authority ultimately responsible for matters related to the pipeline project is the Ministry of the Environment.
All of the countries around the Baltic Sea are parties to the Espoo Convention with the exception of Russia, which has signed the Convention but has not ratified it. Russia is nevertheless committed to apply the Convention’s principles within limits set by national legislation.
By 14.11.2006 Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia duly sent notification to Finland as required under the Espoo Convention concerning the commencement of their respective EIA processes. The notifications included a Project Information Document related to the EIA for the whole Baltic Sea region.
Finland responded on 16.2.2007 indicating willingness to participate in these countries’ respective EIA processes.
An additional answer document was sent on 26.2.2007 concerning the scope of the EIA. In the response sent to Russia, Finland submitted also additional comments particularly related to the Eastern Gulf of Finland.
Project Information Document can be read Nord Stream’s website:
Comments submitted from Finland and other countries by the authorities and members of the public can be read in English on Nord Stream’s website:
The pipeline would also have impacts in other countries around the Baltic Sea, so the authorities, organisations and the public of these countries also have a right to participate in the EIA process in Finland, as specified in the Espoo Convention. Finland sent notification of the commencement of its own EIA to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia in november 2006. All these countries have announced that they will participate in Finland’s EIA process.
Interim report on the revised routeing of the pipeline 8.12.2008
The revised routeing of the pipeline is represented in the (EIA) interim report, which Germany and Denmark sent to Finland and other coastal countries around the Baltic Sea on 5 November 2008. The new routeing passes Denmark's island of Bornholm from the east and south.
Interim report on the revised routeing of the pipeline 7.11.2007
Nord Stream has subsequently specified more details about alternative routes for the pipeline for the purposes of the EIA. The company has drafted a related interim report, which was sent to all of the coastal countries around the Baltic Sea on 7.11.2007.
The Finnish authorities and the public of Finland may submit statements in response to the interim report by 21.12.2007. The Ministry of the Environment will then submit these opinions and statements to the other countries directly involved (Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia) and to Nord Stream. The document compiled by the Ministry will be available on this website from 21.1.2008.
Public hearing of the EIA Report
The environmental impact assessment report was available for public hearing between 9.3.2009- 5.5.2009. The general public, NGOs and the authorities were entitled to comment on the EIA documentation.
Public information meetings with the participation of the Finnish authorities and the developer took place in five different locations.
According to the Finnish legislation, the competent authority's statement on the EIA must be given within two months after the public hearing, i.e. by 6 July 2009 at the latest.
For more information:
Official contact for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in Finland
Uusimaa Regional Environment Centre, Asemapäällikönkatu 14, PL 36, 00521 Helsinki
Contact person: Rolf Nyström; firstname.surname@ymparisto.fi;
tel. +358 40 532 8783
Espoo Convention contact in Finland
Seija Rantakallio, Ministry of the Environment;
firstname.surname@ymparisto.fi; tel. +358 400 143 937
Nord Stream AG
Nord Stream AG, Grafenauenweg 2, 6302 Zug, Switzerland
Sebastian Sass, Community Relations, firstname.surname@nord-stream.com, tel. +41 79 417 01 02 (language: English)
Dirk von Ameln, Deputy Technical Director; name@nord-stream.com [name=dirk.vonameln]
EIA contractors
Rambøll A/S, Denmark
Jørn Bo Larssen, name@ramboll.dk [name=jla]
Neel Strøbæk, name@ramboll.dk [name=nes]
EIA contractors in Finland
Ramboll Finland Oy
Tore Granskog, firstname.surname@landpro, tel. +358 40 8350341
Aino Rantanen, firstname.surname@ramboll.fi, tel. +358 20 755 6239
Mattias Järvinen, firstname.surname@fcg.fi, tel. +358 40 592 6962
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