Romanian-Hungarian section of Nabucco pipeline opens

Hungary and Romania have opened the 47-kilometer Arad-Szeged branch section of the Nabucco gas pipeline, connecting Hungarian and Romanian gas distribution systems, the oil and gas company MOL (a participant in the gas pipeline project) said in a message, RIA Novosti reports.

The section passes through Hungary. A 60-kilometer section in Romania, constructed by Transgaz, opened earlier.

MOL and Transgaz are participants in the Nabucco project together with Germany's RWE, Austrian company OMV and Bulgarian and Turkish Botas. All the companies have a 16.67% share. The pipeline has a capacity of 31 billion cubic m of gas annually and is 3,300 km long. The route of the pipeline is Turkey-Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria. It will be launched in 2015.

The MOL Group hopes that Central and Eastern Europe will have an integrated gas market. The Arad-Szeged gas pipeline will increase competition in the market, offering benefits to traders and consumers. The head of MOL, Zsolt Hernadi, said that it will also increase the security of gas supplies.