The permit was granted by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency in Hamburg. This second and final German permit leaves only the second Finnish permit outstanding.
The consortium had already received permits from Denmark, Sweden and Russia through whose waters the pipeline will pass, as well as the Finnish EEZ permit and the permit for the 50km section of the pipeline in German territorial waters and landfall in Lubmin near Greifswald.
Matthias Warnig, managing director of Nord Stream, said: “We are firmly on schedule to start construction of the pipeline in spring 2010 and to start transporting gas in 2011.”
When completed in 2012, Nord Stream will be able to transport 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year from Russia to Germany, where it will be connected to the European energy grid.
Gazprom has already signed long-term contracts to supply gas through Nord Stream to customers in several EU countries including Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK.
