the Ship “Akademik Chersky”, the main candidate for completion, “Nord stream-2”, belongs to the Samara Fund, which recently changed residence, found RBC. According to experts, such a structure reduces the risks of sanctions.
Laying vessel “Akademik Chersky” — the only Russian ship that is able to finish the pipeline “Nord stream-2”, — is owned by the Samara thermal power asset Fund (STIF), the discharge from vessel registration in the Russian international register of vessels. Previously, the owner of the “Academician Chersky” never reported, and the operating organization was called the “daughter” of “Gazprom” — LLC “Gazprom fleet.”
the Ship was in the operational management of “Gazprom fleet” in 2016. Pipelayer appeared on the website of “Gazprom fleet” at least until February 2020. Internet archive Web.archive.org saved this page.
the U.S. sanctions, adopted in December 2019, require the U.S. President to make a black list SDN any company, which provides vessels for the construction of “Nord stream-2”. The ship itself can also be included in the SDN list — in this case, the “academic plan” will probably be able to finish the pipeline, but then lose access to all foreign services (retrofit, repair , etc.). While U.S. senators Ted Cruz and Jeanne Shaheen are prepared to submit to Congress a new bill designed to prevent the completion of the project, told Reuters last week. Cruz said in may that the new sanctions will affect any vessel of the shipowner and any who try to build Nord Stream 2.
When STIF received on the balance of the ship “Akademik Chersky”, is unknown. It is the only asset of the Fund from Samara, while “Gazprom fleet” belong to the seven courts. “Gazprom” bought “the Academician Chersky” in 2015.
From the most current list of affiliated persons of PJSC “Gazprom”, it follows that as at 31 March 2020 STIF was part of the group “Gazprom”. The founders of the STIF was listed “Gazprom Teploenergo” (51%) and “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Samara” (49%), the certificate of incorporation. Both enterprises are included into group “Gazprom Mezhregiongaz” — energy structure “Gazprom”.
On April 1, the Fund was in the list of affiliates of Gazprom group (not the “Gazprom”). But as of today the information is still not disclosed, said RBC official representative of the head of “Gazprom” Sergei Kupriyanov, recommending to follow the schedule of disclosure of the gas monopoly. In “Gazprom” believe that “sanctions risks in connection with the operation of the vessel in vain”, said RBC a source in the monopoly, without further explanation.
the Authorized capital STIF — 123 ��ln RUB Main activity is the rental and management of real estate. At the end of March 2020, the Fund changed its registration from Samara to St. Petersburg, from the data to EGRUL for June 1.
After the December sanctions, the main Swiss contractor Allseas stopped work on laying the pipes, when in the Baltic sea remained to lay only 6% of the pipeline (160 km). Group Director natural resources and commodities, Fitch Dmitry marinchenko believes that “for “Gazprom” the main thing is to avoid serious financial and operational sanctions against the parent company”. “But something risks still remain — not be formulated in sanctions and whether they will be used against the parent structure, which formally will not carry out any works on completion of pipeline”, — says marinchenko.
According to President Vladimir Putin, to complete the project possibly by the end of this year or early next year. Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that it can make the ship “Akademik Chersky”. In early may it came up in the German port of Mukran, which is the logistics center for the project “Nord stream-2”. This pipelayer, the only one in Russia equipped with a dynamic positioning system, which is required from the regulators of Denmark, in whose waters must be built the last section.
RBC sent a request to the Nord Stream 2 (project operator), “Gazprom fleet” and STIF.
Gazprom itself is too large, the Americans are unlikely to bring the group to the SDN list, the expert on sanctions Geneva International Sanctions Network Maria Shagina. Most likely, the sanctions threatened by the immediate owner of the vessel, which will finish construction of the “Nord stream-2”, says she.
If you decide to make the owner of the vessel “Samara thermal power property Fund”, means that possible sanctions against the legal entity recognized as not dangerous, but under US sanctions may hit the ship “Akademik Chersky”, said the managing partner of the Moscow office of the bar Association Pen & Paper Anton for Us.
the gas pipeline Project involves the construction of two threads with a length of 1224 km under the Baltic sea. “Nord stream-2” will supply gas from Russia to Germany, its capacity is 55 billion cubic meters by the Operator of the pipeline construction supports Nord Stream AG, whose sole shareholder is Gazprom.
as an alternative to Russian gas, the US is offering to supply Europe with liquefied natural gas (LNG), but pipeline gas from Russia remains Europe is cheaper.
