The last Nord Stream 2 pipe stored within the premises of the port of Karlshamn left the storage area Saturday (Aug3). Nearly 39,000 pipes have transited through the port since October 7, 2017. Out of these, almost 37,000 pipes have been shipped to the pipelay vessels working on the Swedish section of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. The surplus has been transported back to the port of Mukran in northern Germany. Wasco Coating Germany GmbH was in charge of the logistics operations in the port of Karlshamn during this 23-month long period.

Nord Stream's Last Pipe Leaves Port of Karlshamn, Sweden
Caption: From the supply ships to the pipelay vessels – the Nord Stream 2 pipes traveled a long way until they reach their designated spot on the floor of the Baltic Sea - Image courtesy of Nord Stream 2

Up to 140 people worked for the Nord Stream 2 project during the peak period in the port of Karlshamn, when operations went on around the clock. A majority of the workers employed by the port were locals.

“We are very pleased with the effort and dedication shown by the workers. Not a single LTI (Lost Time Injury) – an indicator of safety in the gas industry – was reported during the 23 months of operations in the port of Karlshamn, despite difficult conditions at times,” said Stig Holgersen, Nord Stream 2’s site representative for Coating and Logistics in Karlshamn.

“Trucks with heavy pipe loads had to share the quays with the port’s other clients and pipes had to be washed around the clock before being shipped out to the pipelay vessels, even on the coldest winter days,” he cited as examples.

Pipelay in the 510-kilometre long Swedish section of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline is almost over: One line has been completed in this section, while the construction of the second line will resume on September 1, 2019. The second line is scheduled to be completed during October in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Overall, more than 1,700 km of the pipelines have been constructed so far in accordance with existing permits in Germany, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Source: Nord Stream