Nord Stream is a gas pipeline to link Russia and the European Union via the Baltic Sea. It is planned to transmit up to 55 bcm per annum of Russian gas to Europe across the Baltic sea. First phase of the project to be competed by 2010 and would significantly diversify Russia’s export routes away from Ukraine, Belarus and Poland and would thus reduce Ukraine’s and Belarus’ influence as transit countries and would give Gazprom additional leverage in negotiations over transit fees and the pricing and volume of gas deliveries to its two neighbors. The Nord Stream consortium plans to start constructing the first pipeline in April 2010 and to start transporting gas in late 2011. When completed in 2012, Nord Stream’s twin pipeline system will have a capacity of 55 Bcm/a year of gas. The Nord Stream Pipeline will transport gas from Russia to Germany where it will join the European energy grid.