Turkey's environment ministry has approved the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the offshore section of the South Stream gas pipeline that will cross the coutnry’s exclusive economic zone, South Stream Transport said on Thursday.
The EIA report concluded that the project is not expected to have any significant impacts on the marine environment or fisheries in the Turkish section, South Stream Transport said in a statement.
The Gazprom-spearheaded South Stream pipeline will supply natural gas from Russia to central and southeastern Europe. Its offshore part will run from Russia's Black Sea shore across the Turkish exclusive economic zone to the Bulgarian cost near Varna and will consist of four pipeline strings with annual capacity expected to reach 63 billion cubic metres. Commercial operation is scheduled to start by the end of 2015.
The Turkish sector of the project will be some 470 km long. The pipeline will be built at a distance of over 110 km from the Turkish coast, in waters up to 2,200 metres deep.
Due to the anoxic nature of the Black Sea environment, with virtually no oxygen below 100-200 metres, hardly any life is found at these depths. Therefore, little environmental impacts are expected during pipeline construction, South Stream Transport said in the statement.
Offshore pipe laying will start in Russian waters in late 2014 and the first vessel will enter the Turkish EEZ in the first quarter of 2015. The first pipeline will be operational by the end of 2015.
South Stream Transport is an international joint venture established for the planning, construction and subsequent operation of the offshore gas pipeline through the Black Sea. Russian company Gazprom owns a 50% stake in the JV, Italian company Eni holds a 20% stake, French energy company EDF and German company Wintershall Holding each hold 15%.
Source: SeeNews