German regulator confirms Ukraine to be admitted to Nord Stream 2 certification without veto power

The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur, or BNetzA) has confirmed that Ukraine will be admitted to the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline without veto power, BNetzA press secretary Fiete Wulff told Interfax.

"The Federal Network Agency can confirm that the national joint stock company Naftogaz of Ukraine and the LLC Gas Transmission Operator of Ukraine were admitted to the certification process today. Those admitted to the process have certain rights, particularly the right to issue their judgment. They don't have veto power," Wulff said on Monday.

As reported earlier, BNetzA has four months, starting September 8, to consider a bid from Nord Stream 2 AG to certify it as an independent operator of Nord Stream 2, after which it is supposed to submit its report to the European Commission, which will have another two months to issue its own conclusion, plus two months more, if necessary.

Naftogaz on October 15 filed an application to be involved in the certification of the Nord Stream 2 operator. Before this, the Polish gas company PGNiG had secured the right to be admitted to BNetzA's certification procedure.

The LLC Gas Transmission Operator of Ukraine on October 20 also filed an application with BNetzA to join the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG.

Nord Stream 2 will be able to carry 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Slavyanskaya compressor station in the Kingisepp district of the Leningrad region across the Baltic Sea to Germany. In October 2021, Gazprom announced the pipeline's completion and the intention to start its operation before the end of the year.

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua