Russia-Germany gas pipeline looks to avoid Danish waters

COPENHAGEN – The planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would pump Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, has applied for an alternative route that does not pass through Danish territorial waters.

The moves comes as the Danish Parliament has dragged its feet about giving permission for the project to pass through the Danish waters, east of the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm.

The company operating the pipeline project said Friday that the route through Danish waters “will remain the preferred route.” But it said it had presented a new one because the Danish foreign ministry’s recommendation “has been pending since January.”

It sent its application Friday.