dws-vanoord-boskalis-nordstream-bravens-770pxSwiss project developer Nord Stream 2 has signed a Letter of Intent with the Dutch joint venture Boskalis-Van Oord to provide rock placement services as part of the construction of the planned twin 1,200 kilometre Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines through the Baltic Sea.

Contract details are expected to be finalised in the next few weeks. Based on the current scope, the contract amount is expected to be approximately 250 million euros.

dws-van-oord-boskalis-nord-stream2-pipes-350px  Over 35,000 pipes are already waiting to be concrete weight coated in Finland and to be layed across the Baltic Sea.

Specialized fallpipe vessels
The award was made by the project developer Nord Stream 2 AG and is a part of the construction of the planned twin 1,200 kilometer gas pipelines running through the Baltic Sea, connecting Russia to Europe.

Rock is needed to be placed before and after construction for pipeline's support at precisely located places along the pipeline route where the seabed is uneven.

The project will be executed in a 50/50 partnership and multiple specialised fallpipe vessels will be deployed in the period 2018-2019.

Van Oord is expected to deploy its brand new Bravenes that was launched in China in December 2016. The vessels (on top photo) features the latest innovations and features the distinct X-BOW hull line.

Previous involvements
Royal Boskalis has been fully operational on the NordStream since 2012 provided similar rock placement services for the first Nord Stream pipeline, which has been fully operational since 2012.

Van Oord installed the pipeline landfalls near Vyborg in Russia for the first Nord Stream project in 2010.

dws-vanoord-boskalis-nordstream1-350px Italian pipelay vessel Castoro Sei began offshore pipe laying of Nord Stream 1 in 2011.

Russian gas to EU
Nord Stream is an offshore natural gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea that runs from Vyborg, near St. Petersburg (Russia) to Greifswald, near Rostock (Germany). The 1,222 km long gas pipeline is owned and operated by Nord Stream AG. Construction started in May 2011 and it was in October 2012.

To be able to deliver more natural gas from the Russian gas fields to EU gas transmission system, Nord Stream has plans for a second pipeline.

Construction of Nord Stream 2 is scheduled to start in 2018 and 2019, with commissioning date end 2019.

This news item was originally published on the website of Van Oord and Nord Stream 2.

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More information
Van Oord
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
+31 88 826 00 00
www.vanoord.com

Animation of Van Oord's new unique and innovative subsea rock installation vessel Bravenes.