Gazprom and Fortum Discuss Northern European Gas Pipeline Project

Gazprom Chairman Alexey Miller and Finnish company Fortum Chairman Matti Vuoria discussed the course of the realization of a Northern European gas pipeline on Thursday in Moscow. Talks were focused on the directing of project research including sea areas and the preparation of tender documents, Rosbalt reported.

Moreover, Miller and Vuoria discussed the possibility of building a gas pipeline bend to Sweden. It was also noted that work on the pipeline is progressing in strict accordance with the confirmed schedule.

The pipeline will create a new route for the export of Russian gas to Europe. The completion of the project will directly connect the Russian and Baltic Region gas transportation network with the European gas network. One important and enticing factor of the project is that there are no so-called transit governments along its route, which lowers the risk and cost of transporting Russian gas and at the same time increass the reliability of gas delivery. According to the project's plan, the gas pipeline will go through the area of water from the Russian city of Vyborg on the Finnish Gulf to the German city of Graifswald on the Baltic Sea coast.

The building plan of the Northern European gas pipeline strictly adheres to ecological requirements, planners say. The building of the pipeline is planned to begin in 2005. The transfer of natural gas is planned to begin in 2007, with operations at full-capacity by 2009. The complete cost of the project is USD 5.7 million.

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