Nord Stream deliver capacity to reach 1 million cubic meters of gas per hour

The speed of deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline will amount to 1 million cubic meters per hour starting from 13.00 CET on Tuesday. The new speed will ensure the delivery of 8.5 billion cubic meters per year, the director on cooperation of the Nord Stream operator, Dirk von Ameln said at a news conference on Monday, RIA Novosti reports.

Dirk von Ameln said that in the long term the first stage of the pipeline, which should be put into operation on Tuesday, should deliver up to 27.5 billion cubic meters of gas. After commissioning of the second stage of the pipeline, which is scheduled for autumn 2012, the supply volume will grow up to 55 billion cubic meters.

"Gazprom" has already signed long-term gas supply contracts via Nord Stream to customers in several EU countries including Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK.

The Nord Stream is a new route for Russian gas exports to Europe. The gas pipeline lies across the Baltic Sea and connects Russia (Vyborg) and Germany (Greifswald).