Poland To Finance Laying The First Section Of Yamal-western Europe Gas Pipeline

Poland confirmed its volumes of financing of the first leg of the Yamal-Western Europe gas pipeline, the sources in the Russian delegation reported. According to the sources, an agreement has been reached on dates of launching the first leg to full capacity. The volumes of work to put the second leg of the gas pipeline into operation will be specified in February. The whole Polish section of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline represents two legs of the pipeline with a diameter of 1,400mm and length of 682 km each. The cost of the project is estimated at USD 1 billion. In October 2000 a consortium comprising Russian Gazprom, French gas company Gaz de France, German gas concerns Ruhrgas AG and Wintershall AG and Italian company Snam SpA, was set up to implement the project. The Polish Ministry of the Economy informed RIA Novosti earlier that construction of the first leg of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline on the Polish territory would be finished by 2003. This will allow to pump along the Yamal pipe 33 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually. According to the data provided by the Polish economic department, an accord has been reached that joint proposals of the two countries' gas concerns on options of laying and financing the gas pipeline on the Polish territory from Belarus to Slovakia bypassing Ukraine should be submitted before February 15, 2002.