The first Nord Stream 2 line was filled with technical gas

The operator of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 said after the bottom of the Baltic Sea that the first of the two lines of the project was filled with so-called technical gas, while still waiting for approval to start transport to Europe. The pipeline, financed by Russian energy giant Gazprom and its European partners, is expected to be certified by a German regulator to start commercial sales of natural gas, although the approval process may take several months. Approximately 177 million cubic meters of technical gas needed to maintain pressure for the future transport and sale of gas was pumped into the pipeline, reaching a pressure of 103 bar. "This pressure is sufficient to start gas transmission in the future," the Swiss pipeline operator said in a statement. He added that the steps to start operating Nord Stream 2 were ongoing. The second branch of the pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany after the bottom of the Baltic Sea, faces US resistance. Washington warns that it will increase Europe's dependence on energy supplies from Russia. Russia argues that Nord Stream 2 will double its annual gas export capacity across the Baltic Sea to 110 billion m3, which could bring relief to the European gas market, which is struggling with limited supplies and soaring prices. Moscow says it has not played a role in the sharp rise in gas prices in Europe. It responded to allegations by the International Energy Agency and some MEPs that Russia had not done enough to increase supplies to Europe through existing pipelines.