The structure of the Espoo Report has been developed in accordance with the requirements outlined in Appendix II of the Espoo Convention. Considerable effort has been invested in the Non-Technical Summary (NTS) to maximise the potential to communicate effectively to the general public about the project and its transboundary impacts. Additionally, an Atlas Map book has been prepared comprising an extensive compendium of maps that are extensively referred to in this report.
This report is divided into 20 chapters as outlined in Table 1-2.
Table 1-2 Espoo Report structure.
Chapter Title Overview
1 Introduction Provides information about the NSP2 project, the key objectives of this Espoo Report and information on the history of NSP2, the project developer and the main consultants involved with the project.
2 Project justification Provides the context for why NSP2 is needed based on current projections, which show an increased import demand and the need for additional pipeline capacity to reinforce supply security.
3 Regulatory context Describes the regulatory framework for pipelines in the Baltic Sea and the relevant international conventions and EU Directives that have influenced how the project has been developed and issues addressed in its assessment.
4 Espoo process Outlines the process required by the Espoo Convention and how the various steps have been and will continue to be taken in relation to NSP2. It highlights in particular the role of the public consultation process both with respect to scoping the Espoo
Chapter Title Overview
Report and with respect to using the report for informing the public about the project and the potential environmental impacts.
5 Alternatives Describes and provides a high level comparison of the technological and pipeline routing alternatives considered for the project, as well as the situation without the project, and gives the rationale for the selected preferred option.
6 Project description Provides details of the NSP2 project, including is design, construction and operational activities both onshore and in the marine environment.
7 Method adopted for
production of Espoo environmental assessment documentation
Lays out the framework applied for preparing the Espoo Report, including how information contained in the national EIAs/ES has been analysed and presented to deliver a Joint EIA that considers the project in its entirety.
8 Identification of
environmental impacts
Based on a review of the project description, the potential environmental impacts of the various activities and of the presence of NSP2 are identified, for making the basis for the subsequent impact assessment.
9 Environmental baseline Describes the current status of the physical-chemical, biological and socio-economic environment within the project area of influence, to provide a baseline against which environmental impacts can be assessed.
10 Assessment of
environmental impacts
Predicts and evaluates the level of environmental impacts resulting from routine operation of NSP2 on the physical-chemical, biological and socio-economic receptors described in Chapter 9 – Environmental baseline.
11 Marine strategic planning Identifies the key directives relevant to marine spatial planning in the Baltic Sea and assesses the degree of compliance of NSP2 with their objectives and, where possible, targets.
12 Decommissioning Provides an overview of the available scenarios for decommissioning the pipeline at the end of its operating life, identifies the preferred option and provides a high-level assessment.
13 Risk assessment Evaluates the impacts from unplanned events that may occur during the construction and operation phases of the project and describes the emergency preparedness and response strategy developed by Nord Stream 2 AG to proactively manage such risks.
14 Cumulative impacts Describes and assesses the potential additive or synergistic impacts that may arise from interaction between the NSP2 project and other projects with an overlapping spatial and temporal scope.
15 Transboundary impacts Summarises on a country-by-country basis the potential transboundary impacts that may arise from project activities.
16 Mitigation measures Provides a description of additional measures (beyond the embedded mitigation incorporated in the design) that Nord Stream 2 AG commits to take to avoid or reduce potential environmental impacts identified through the impact assessment process.
17 Health safety,
environmental and social management
Describes the health, safety, environmental and social (HSES) management system developed by Nord Stream 2 AG to ensure that HSES risks including environmental impacts are identified and proactively managed.
18 Proposed environmental monitoring
Lays out the proposed monitoring programme for NSP2, the objective of which is to ensure that the relevant management and mitigation measures are implemented, and that the assumptions
Chapter Title Overview
for and the order of magnitudes of the assessed environmental impacts are correct.
19 Knowledge gaps and
uncertainties
Identifies areas where the available information is incomplete or imprecise and describes implications of such gaps and uncertainties for the assessment and how these have been addressed.
20 References List of references used to support the information provided.
The following appendices have been included in the report:
• Appendix 1: Provides a summary of the key issues raised by stakeholders and how these issues have been addressed.
• Appendix 2: Lists protected species identified in the project area, including both common and Latin names.
• Appendix 3: Provides detailed modelling results and methodology, including sediment dispersion and sedimentation, underwater noise and air quality modelling results.
• Appendix 4: Concentration of contaminants in sediments along the planned NSP2 route.