Shell appeals against Polish regulator’s demand over Nord Stream-2

MOSCOW, Nov 9 (PRIME) -- Anglo-Dutch oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell has filed an appeal against demand of the Polish antimonopoly regulator UOKiK to break a financing agreement for construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, a spokesperson for the company told reporters on Monday.

“We have considered UOKiK’s decision, we strongly disagree with it, and we filed an appeal on November 5 in the framework of all legal procedures,” the spokesperson said.

The Nord Stream-2 project envisages construction of two lines of a natural gas pipeline with an annual capacity of up to 55 billion cubic meters, running from the Russian shore to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Russian gas giant Gazprom is implementing the project together with Germany’s E.ON and BASF, Royal Dutch Shell, Austria’s OMV, and France’s Engie.

The UOKiK issued a U.S. $7.6 billion fine for Gazprom and $61 million for Gazprom’s European partners under the Nord Stream-2 project in early October, adding that it obliged the European companies to break the agreement on financing of the pipeline in 30 days.

A spokesperson for OMV told PRIME on November 2 that the company also planned to file an appeal against UOKiK’s demand as the decision had no legal grounds.

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