Denmark suspends Baltic gas pipeline, in setback for Poland

Denmark has withdrawn permission for a planned pipeline that was designed to bring Norwegian gas to Poland, citing the need to assess if the project would harm the habitats of certain species

WARSAW, Poland -- Denmark has withdrawn permission for a planned pipeline that was designed to bring Norwegian gas to Poland, citing the need to assess if the project would harm the habitats of certain mice and bat species. The decision represents a setback to Poland’s energy security efforts. Poland has been counting on the pipeline, called Baltic Pipe, to help limit its dependence on Russian energy sources. The Danish Environmental and Food Appeals Board announced Thursday that it had repealed a land permit issued in 2019 for Baltic Pipe. According to the appeals board, a permit for the project given by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency did not sufficiently lay out the measures that would be taken to protect dormice, Nordic birch mice and bats during construction of the 210-kilometer (130-mile) pipeline across Denmark.