Trouble on the line: the Nord Stream consortium has delayed first gas deliveries to Europe from Russia
Nord Stream hits glitch
The Nord Stream pipeline group will delay first exports of Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea to spring 2011 from the previous plan of end of 2010, reports said.
The pipeline group, which has already warned it is taking longer than expected to get permission from all countries involved, also said that delivery of pipeline materials was taking long and comprehensive safety tests were needed.
"The project timeline ... foresees pipe-laying works on the first line commencing during the summer of 2009 and to be completed in 2010," a statement said, according to Reuters.
"The first gas to be delivered by this commercial project is scheduled for the spring of 2011, after completion of the test phase," it added.
The ambitious $7.19 billion project - which plans to take up to 55 billion cubic metres (bcm) of Russian gas to Europe annually - is led by Russia's gas export monopoly Gazprom , which has a 51%.