Nord Stream Pipe Laying in German Waters Underway
June 28, 2010 | Zug/Lubmin | The pipelay vessel Castoro Dieci today began laying part of the 82 kilometre long German section of the Nord Stream Pipeline. It marks the start of another major step in the project’s construction. “We are on schedule and making good progress,” says Dr. Georg Nowack, Nord Stream AG Project Manager for Germany.
The Castoro Dieci is to lay 28 kilometres of the pipeline in shallow waters. The remaining part of the German section will be laid by the Castoro Sei. Currently, the Castoro Dieci is anchored in its start operating position about one kilometre off the pipeline’s landfall at the Lubminer Heide energy complex. On board, the 12-metre long pipe sections are being welded together. To maintain quality control, each weld undergoes non-destructive testing. The first line of the Nord Stream project is growing at a rate of two pipe sections, 24 metres, per hour. A 10-centimetre thick steel rope is attached to the front end to draw the pipeline section towards land by means of a heavy duty drawing winch which was installed at the Lubmin landfall last week. Buoys are attached to the pipeline to reduce drag. These are removed as soon as the pipeline section has reached its correct landfall position. When that is done, the Castoro Dieci starts laying the pipeline, moving slowly in a northerly direction section by section. After about five kilometres, the first section of pipeline is cast off, and the pipelay vessel returns to its starting position. There it is re-anchored and starts assembly of the second line.
The laying of the two pipelines in a 27-kilometre long trench through the Bay of Greifswald – stretching up to Nordperd near Göhren on the island of Rügen – is being undertaken in two parallel moves. When both lines are correctly positioned, the trench sections will be backfilled, starting in August. This will be in the interest of the environment and ensures that construction activities of the Nord Stream Pipeline in the Bay of Greifswald can be completed by the end of 2010. Herring, for example, will be able to spawn undisturbed again next year.
For their own safety, users of the Bay of Greifswald should absolutely ensure they observe the one kilometre exclusion zone around the pipelay vessel throughout the whole construction period.
