Germany's energy regulator said on Thursday full certification of the pipeline would not come in the first half of 2022.
"I can say with a high degree of certainty that the first gas via Nord Stream 2 will go in January," Zavalny told an online conference."Why am I sure about this? First of all, the timing for it is up in January. And it's not in the interests of Germany and other European Union's countries to drag on with this process further," he said.
He added that by that time, the level of gas in storage facilities will decline, which would boost prices. "This would be an additional incentive not to drag on with the certification and the Nord Stream 2 launch," he said. Numerous Russian officials and Gazprom managers had expected the pipeline to start working this year.Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Oksana Kobzeva; editing by Jason NeelySubscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox.
News flash: President Pootin' has plenty of gas for sale!