Europe loses access to half of Nord Stream 2 capacity through end of decade - Gazprom

MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax) - European consumers can no longer count on the full capacity of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline (two strings with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year) in the medium term, Gazprom said in a statement.

"Due to the fact that the offshore Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is not currently in use and in view of the implementation of the gas supply and gasification program for consumers in the Northwest region, Gazprom has decided to use the excess Russian onshore gas transmission capacity of the Nord Stream 2 project to develop gas supply to Russia's northwest," the company said.

"If the German side decides to commission Nord Stream 2 offshore pipeline, only one string of the pipeline with 100% loading can be put into operation. Commissioning of the offshore line of Nord Stream 2 will be possible no earlier than 2028," Gazprom said.

The Nord Stream 2 offshore pipeline with capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year runs from the "Slavyanskaya" compressor station in the Kingisepp district of the Leningrad Region of Russia to the Baltic Sea coast of Germany. Both strings of the pipeline are now filled with gas and ready for operation.

German authorities have stopped the certification process for the pipeline, and the U.S. has put the Nord Stream 2 AG project company on a sanctions list.