The head of Gazprom, Alexey Miller, discussed the terms for French
companies GDF Suez and EdF to take part in the 'Nord Stream' and
'South Stream' projects, RIA Novosti reports, citing a statement by
the Russian energy giant.
On Thursday in Cannes (France) the annual meeting of the European
business congress (EBC) and the 22nd session of the the EBC Presidium
were held. Miller met the head of GDF Suex, Jerar Mestralle, president
of Gasunie, Marsel Kramer, head of Eni, Paolo Skaroni, director of
Prometey Gaz, Dimitris Kopeluzos and board member of Italy's E. ON
Ruhrgas, Yohen Vayze.
The sides discussed prospects of cooperation in developing the gas
sphere and agreed that gas demand will rise in Europe.
Miller informed Gazprom's Italian partners about the
technical-economic work on the 'South Stream' project, involving the
sea and land sectors of the gas pipeline.
At the meeting with Jerar Mestralle the talks were on the entrance of
GDF Suez into the 'Nord Stream' project.
At the International Economic Forum of St. Petersburg the sides
discussed the entrance of the French companies into the 'Nord Stream'
and 'South Stream' energy projects.
The 'South Stream' pipeline is aimed at reducing Russia's dependence
on transit countries, in particular, Ukraine and Turkey. The pipeline
will go under the Black Sea from Novorossiysk to the Bulgarian port of
Varna. Then it splits into two branches, one to Italy and one to
Austria. Investments in the project are estimated at 25 billion euros.
The pipeline will be finished in 2015. The pipeline has a capacity of
63 billion cubic m of gas annually, 35% of Russian gas to Europe will
go through this pipe.
Nord Stream is 1200 km long, it will go through the Baltic Sea from
Wyborg to Greifswald (Germany). It will be launched in 2011. In 2012
the capacity will increase to 55 billion cubic m annually.
The current shareholders of Nord Stream AG are Gazprom (51%),
Wintershall Holding and E.ON Ruhrgas (both 20%) and Gasunie (9%)
