OREANDA-NEWS. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany authorized the laying of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline during the winter months. A message about this was published on the website of the agency.

The pipeline is to be laid at a distance of 16.5 kilometers. “The need for a new time interval arose due to unforeseen delays outside the exclusive economic zone of Germany,” the statement says.

The representatives of the department indicate that the need for this permission arose because of the potential influence of work on birds that winter in the area of construction. Agency’s experts came to the conclusion that the building of the pipeline will not affect the birds, since the laying vessels move very slowly, at a speed of 3 to 5 kilometers per day, so their impact on flora and fauna is limited “in space and time.”

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency expects that the work will be completed within ten days.