Nord Stream 2 pipeline on bed of the Baltic Sea has filled with technical gas

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Nord Stream 2 pipeline on bed of the Baltic Sea has filled with technical gas

MOSCOW, October 18 - Reuters : The operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on the bed of the Baltic Sea said the first of the two lines of the project has been filled with so-called technical gas while still awaiting clearance to start sales to Europe.

The pipeline, funded by Kremlin-owned energy giant Gazprom and its European partners, is expected to gain certification from a regional regulator to begin commercial sales of natural gas, though the approval process could take several months.

About 177 million cubic metres of future gas, needed to maintain pressure in the pipeline for planning gas sales, has been pumped into the pipeline and pumped at a pressure of 103 bar.

This pressure is sufficient to start gas transportation in future, the pipeline's Swiss operator said in a statement.

The first steps in the manufacturing phase for the second line are ongoing, added it.

The project faced resistance from the United States, who says it will increase Europe's dependence on Russian energy.

Russia has said that Nord Stream 2, which is set to double Moscow's annual gas export capacity in the Baltic Sea to 110 billion cubic metres, could help provide relief to the European gas market, which has been grappling with tight supplies and soaring prices.

Moscow says it has played no role in causing Europe's rising gas prices, responding to accusations from the International Energy Agency IEA and some members of Parliament that Russia had not done enough to increase supplies to Europe.