A PiPeline links RussiA And euRoPe Castoro sei A VisiT To THe FACToRY sHiP inTerview How imPortanT is RussiAn GAs FoR us? BOMBS AND MINEs dAnGeROUS INHeRiTAnCe FROM TWO WORld wARs A CollAboration bY wiTH Respect. For Europe’s energy needs. Europe needs new sources of natural gas to maintain economic growth while meeting climate protection targets. The Nord Stream Pipeline is a timely and environmentally sound means of bringing large volumes of natural gas to Europe. Nord Stream AG is an international consortium of five major energy companies whose combined experience ensures the best technology, safety and corporate governance for this project. www.nord-stream.com Group GroupGroup Group 2 Nord-StreamDie Pipeline NORD_01_108_Anzeige_SciAm_206x273+3.indd 1 08.09.11 14:46 EDITORIAL Richard Zinken Publishing Director Spektrum der Wissenschaft Verlagsgesellschaft mbH TheDawningofaNewEra—withNaturalGas? Respect. ithnoapparentdestination,thehelicop- moreandmorepeopleseemoderngasandsteam Respect. W ter flies out to sea. But somewhere out combined power plants—especially after the re- there,movingafewkilometersfurthereveryday, actor accident at Fukushima—as an acceptable thereistheCastoro Sei—afloatingfactoryinthe bridgingtechnology. middleoftheBalticSea.Frominsidethisshipthe Butwherewillthesearchforasustainableen- ForFor Europe’sEurope’s Baltic Sea pipeline is being created—gas pipes ergystrategyleadus?Couldourdesireforsecuri- connecting Lubmin in northern Germany with ty of supply result in our being dangerously de- VyborgonRussia’swesterncoast,morethan1,200 pendent? kilometersaway. Nolessimportant,ofcourse,isthequestionof WevisitedtheCastoro Seiandinthisissuewe environmentalprotection:Whatimpactwillthe energyenergy needs.needs. will explain how every few minutes the men installationworkhaveonthefragileecosystemof thereweldonepieceofpipetothenextandthen theBalticSea?Whatabouttheexplosiveortoxic sinkittothebottomofthesea—andwhyourau- munitionsleftoverfromthetwoworldwarsly- thorwassoimpressedbythe“strangelyrelaxed ingdormantontheseabed?Andwhatofthecon- routineonboard.” cernsaboutlong-termconsequences—fortheflo- The construction of this pipeline across the raandfauna,aswellasforthefishingindustries Baltic Sea is truly a gigantic project, costing the oftheneighboringcountries? operator, Nord Stream, a total of around 7.4 bil- These are all questions we want to answer in lion euros. Naturally, the plans have not been thismagazine. withoutcontroversy—political,economicand,of course, from the perspective of many environ- Enjoythisexcitingread! mentalcampaigners. One thing is certain: we are not yet able to quench our ever-growing thirst for energy with renewable energy sources. It is no surprise that EuropeEurope needs needs new new sources sources of naturalof natural gas gas to tomaintain maintain economic economic growth growth while while meetingmeeting climate climate protection protection targets. targets. The The Nord Nord Stream Stream Pipeline Pipeline is isa timelya timely and and environmentallyenvironmentally sound sound means means of bringingof bringing large large volumes volumes of ofnatural natural gas gas to toEurope. Europe. NordNord Stream Stream AG AG is anis aninternational international consortium consortium of offive five major major energy energy companies companies IMPRESSUM whosewhose combined combined experience ensures experience ensures the the best best technology, technology, safety safety and and corporate corporate Wissenschaft Verlagsgesellschaft mbH / Nord Stream AG to damages against the individual or the user. For any authorised use (or any governance for this project. www.nord-stream.com permitted by law) of the work the following industry-standard source governance for this project. www.nord-stream.com Direction: Dr. Joachim Schüring Communications Directors: Ulrich Lissek, Jens D. Müller reference is to be made in the appropriate place: © 2011 (author), Address: Spektrum der Wissenschaft—Custom Publishing, Project management: Frank Dudley Spektrum der Wissenschaft Verlagsgesellschaft mbH / Nord Stream Postfach 10 48 40, 69038 Heidelberg, Germany; Project controlling: Anne Céline Bonnier AG. Any use without this source reference made in the form above Hausanschrift: Slevogtstraße 3–5, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany; Corporate Publishing Manager: Michèle Bodmer entitles Spektrum der Wissenschaft Verlagsgesellschaft mbH / Nord Tel. +49 6221 9126-612, Fax +49 6221 9126-5612 Address: Nord Stream AG, Grafenauweg 2, CH-6304 Zug Stream AG to damages against the individual or the user. Tel. +41 41 766-9191, Fax +41 41 766-9192 www.spektrum.com/cp www.nord-stream.com GroupGroup Editors: Jan Dönges, Dr. Daniel Lingenhöhl GroupGroup GroupGroup GroupGroup Art Direction/Layout: Karsten Kramarczik Date of Publication: Spektrum der Wissenschaft 11/2011, epoc 6/2011, Final editing: Christina Meyberg, Sigrid Spies, Scientifi c American International (Europe) 11/2011, V mire nauki 2/2011 Katharina Werle Photo editors: Alice Krüßmann, Anke Lingg, Gabriela Rabe All rights to this work lie with Spektrum der Wissenschaft Editorial assistant: Petra Mers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH / Nord Stream AG. Any use of the work, Translators: Tom Harris (Engl.), Rita Pauls, Dr. Nataliya Soultanian (Russ.) particularly reproduction, distribution, public display or the right of A COLLABORATION BY public accessibility, without the prior written permission of Spektrum Project management at Scientifi c American: Jeremy Abbate der Wissenschaft Verlagsgesellschaft mbH / Nord Stream AG is strictly WITH Project management at V mire nauki: Swetlana Wladimirowna Popowa prohibited. Any unauthorised use of the work entitles Spektrum der CUSTOM MEDIA nord-stream.de 3 NORD_01_108_Anzeige_SciAm_206x273+3.inddNORD_01_108_Anzeige_SciAm_206x273+3.indd 1 1 08.09.1108.09.11 14:46 14:46 Untitled-1EN_Editorial.indd 1 3 20.09.20119/22/11 15:06:14 10:17 Uhr AM CONTENTS 22 Gas from Siberia 30 Alexander Rahr 6 Castoro Sei 32 The Environment 42 Bombs and Shipwrecks 3 Editorial INTERVIEW INTERVIEW 30 “ I see the pipeline as a 39 “ The fear of environmental REPORT stabilizing infl uence” damage was huge” 6 Production Line in the Sea Will the Baltic Sea pipeline make us Neel Strøbæk advises the Nord Roland Knauer too dependent on Russian gas? We Stream pipeline operators on Every few minutes the men asked political scientist Alexander environmental protection matters. on board the Castoro Sei weld Rahr of the German Foreign Policy We asked her about the effects another section of steel pipe to the Society pipeline construction would have pipeline across the Baltic Sea. They today and in the future construct around three kilometers 32 The Pipeline more every day and the Sea 42 Detective Work Stefanie Reinberger on the Seabed 22 A Burning Passion…for Gas Wind and solar power are not meet- Kerstin Viering Hanno Charisius ing Europe’s energy demands on The fl oor of the Baltic Sea is littered After oil and coal, natural gas is the their own. Energy companies and with the explosive legacy of two world’s most important fossil fuel. politicians want to fi ll the gap in world wars. Nord Stream went on But where does this fuel actually supplies with Russian gas. But will the hunt for bombs and grenades— come from? And how does it end this solution come at the environ- to the delight of underwater up in our kitchen? ment’s expense? archaeologists 26 At Any Price? 50 The Last Word… Daniel Heldmann Russia will soon deliver enough gas to supply 26 million European households every year. But the global gas markets are in turmoil. 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ONE WORD, ONE WORLD Skills, Assets, Innovation, People, Environment, Market. saipem.com spm_Scientific American.indd 1 05/08/11 12:21 Production Line in the Sea Since April 2010, the men aboard the Castoro Sei have been welding together 12-meter-long steel pipes and lowering them onto the bed of the Baltic Sea. The pipeline they are building—at a rate of about three kilometers a day—will transport gas from Russia to Europe when it is completed in 2011 and stretch 1,224 kilometers across the sea. Our author visited their fl oating pipe factory situated off the coast of Finland. By Roland Knauer 6 Production Line in the Sea Off to a new job: In early 2010, after her overhaul at a shipyard in Rotter- dam, the Castoro Sei made her way to the Baltic Sea. Here she is passing by the Storebæltsbroen, the bridge over the Great Belt. www.nord-stream.com 7 NORD STREAM / THOMAS EUGSTER THOMAS / NORD STREAM On good days, more than 300 of the 12-meter-long pipe sections disappear into the belly of the Castoro Sei. At the bow of the ship (bottom left), the fi nished pipeline dives down into the sea. 8 Production Line in the Sea NORD STREAM / THOMAS EUGSTER THOMAS / NORD STREAM Before being moved to the ship’s interior, the pipes, weighed down with their concrete casings, are cleaned and have any rust