The Aсademik Cherskiy - which has dynamic positioning capabilities allowing for accelerated pipelaying - will join the Fortuna pipelayer carrying out work south of the Danish island of Bornholm in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The Fortuna, which uses anchors in pipelaying meaning a slower rate of work, resumed operations in Danish waters on Feb. 6.
The developer said in emailed comments:
- The Akademik Cherskiy departed from the port of Wismar in Germany and transited in the direction of Kaliningrad to undergo sea trials
- Upon the sea trials completion, the vessel will start pipelay works in the Danish EEZ
The Akademik Cherskiy has long been considered as a likely candidate to lay the remaining pipeline.
It arrived at the port of Wismar on Jan. 24, according to S&P Global Platts trade flow software, cFlow.
Wismar was also the last port of call for the Fortuna before it resumed pipelaying work in Danish waters last month.
The timeline for completing the pipelaying work on Nord Stream 2 remains uncertain, however.
The Fortuna has been working at a slower rate than the Pioneering Spirit, which laid much of Nord Stream 2 before its owner, Swiss Allseas, halted work in December 2019 due to the threat of US sanctions.
In addition, it was thought that the Fortuna was only laying 1 string of Nord Stream 2 for now, and that it would likely take months for it to complete even one string.
However, with the Akademik Cherskiy joining the effort, pipelaying is likely to be completed much more quickly.
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