Nord Stream (Russian: Северный поток Severnyy potok, German: Nordeuropäische Gasleitung; former names: North Transgas and North European Gas Pipeline; also known as the Russo–German gas pipeline or the Baltic Sea gas pipeline) is a planned natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany by the company Nord Stream AG. The name of Nord Stream refers usually to the offshore pipeline between Vyborg, Russia, and Greifswald, Germany, but sometimes it may have wider meaning, which includes the onshore pipeline in Russia and further connections in Western Europe.
The project, which is promoted by Russia and Germany, is seen as controversial both for environmental concerns and national security risks in several countries such as Sweden, Poland and the Baltic states, which favour overland alternatives.
The original pipeline project started in 1997 when Gazprom and the Finnish company Neste (later Fortum) formed a joint company North Transgas Oy for construction and operation of a gas pipeline from Russia to Northern Germany across the Baltic Sea. North Transgas cooperated with the German gas company Ruhrgas (later E.ON). A route survey in the Exclusive Economic Zones of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, and a feasibility study of the pipeline was performed in 1998. Various route options were considered including routes with onshore segments through Finland and Sweden.