STOCKHOLM — Sweden on Thursday 05 November 2009 became the second nation to approve a Baltic Sea pipeline that would ship Russian natural gas to Germany, saying the project meets its demands to protect the marine environment.

The billion Nord Stream pipeline, which was approved by Denmark last month, also needs the approval from authorities in Finland, Russia and Germany. The latter two are expected to be formalities, since the project is backed by both governments.

Once completed, the 750-mile (1,200-kilometer) pipeline would carry 55 billion cubic meters of gas each year from the Russian port of Vyborg to the German port of Greifswald.

Moscow wants to use Nord Stream, and a mirror project South Stream in southeastern Europe, to strengthen its grip on European gas markets and head off a U.S.-based pipeline project, Nabucco, that would bypass Russia.

Moscow is also keen to invest in pipelines that do not cross its neighbor, Ukraine. Moscow depends heavily on Ukrainian pipelines to get its gas to Europe and the two rivals have been at odds for years over energy issues. Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe for two weeks in January amid a pricing dispute with Ukraine.

Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren — who last year expressed concerns about the project's impact on ecosystems in the Baltic Sea — said Swedish authorities were satisfied with additional information supplied by pipeline builder Nord Stream AG. He told reporters in Stockholm that saying no to the project would "contravene international law."

It was feared that the construction would disrupt fish stocks and sea birds in the Baltic Sea and release toxins from munitions and chemical weapons sprinkled across the sea bed from earlier wars.

The project has also met objections in Poland and other countries that currently get transit fees from Russian gas crossing their territory in land-based pipelines. In 2007, Estonia refused to let the pipeline to run through its waters.

Under current plans, Nord Stream goes through the territorial waters of Russia, Germany and Denmark and through international waters that are part of the exclusive economic zones of Finland and Sweden.

A 300-mile (480-kilometer) stretch of the pipeline would pass through Sweden's economic zone. Construction is planned to start next year.

Russia's Gazprom holds a 51 percent stake in the project, while German energy companies E.ON Ruhrgas AG and Wintershall AG each hold 20 percent. Dutch company Nederlandse Gasunie NV holds the remaining 9 percent.

Nord Stream said the Swedish approval brought it "another step closer to its planned start of construction in Spring 2010. Nord Stream is aiming to obtain all required permits by the end of 2009."

Nord Stream spokesman Steffen Ebert said Germany is expected to formally approve the pipeline in December.

Sergei Pikin, director of the Energy Development Fund, said there is no doubt of Russia's backing.

"Russia has already approved the project de facto — it just needs to formalize it. The fact that (Prime Minister) Vladimir Putin is personally involved means that approval will take about five minutes," Pikin said.

Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said last month said Finland would likely issue its permission for the pipeline following an environmental check. His remarks came after Putin said Russia will delay raising export duties on raw timber, a key Finnish export.