Nord Stream 2 hits two more hurdles

Controversial Russian pipeline project suffers two more setbacks in its TPA exemption fight

May has not been kind to the backers of the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in their efforts to escape obligations to offer non-discriminatory third-party access (TPA) under the EU’s revised Gas Directive. First, in mid-May, German energy regulator the Bundesnetzagentur rejected an application from Nord Stream 2’s Swiss holding company for a derogation from the directive for the section of the pipeline on German soil. Later in the month, the EU Court of Justice threw out the company’s bid to annul the revised directive altogether. Nord Stream 2 would double capacity on the existing Russia-Germany pipeline to 110bn m³/yr, enabling Russia’s Gazprom to ship more gas directly to wester