After years of planning, today sees the official launch of the construction work on the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline. The project is led by Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom in partnership with Germany's E.On, Ruhrgas and BASF-Wintershall. The pipes will deliver natural gas from Russia directly to Germany. It is Europe's largest energy project and has received a lot of criticism. The engineering feat will supply the EU with up to 11 percent of its energy needs in the coming decades, but the project faces challenges. After all, it involves geo-politics, power and Bbillions of dollars.