VILNIUS 's The economy ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland have sent a joint letter to the European Commission asking it to look into a land-borne alternative to the 1,000 kilometer Russo-German Nord Stream pipeline planned for the Baltic sea bed.
The ministers asked for funding for a feasibility study to look at the alternative route, the Lietuvos Rytas daily reports.
Nord Stream will transport up to 55 billion cubic metres of gas each year - enough to supply more than 20 million households, making it a crucial part of Europe's energy supply. However, the decision to route it through the middle of the Baltic Sea has met with criticism from environmental groups and others who say that the submarine route will significantly increase construction and maintenance costs and will adversely impact the marine ecosystem.
