Azerbaijan, Baku, May 16 / Trend A. Badalova /
Nabucco West has received strong interest from variety of shippers following launch of open season registration phase, Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH reported on Thursday.
"A week after the launch of the registration phase of the Open Season, shipper interest in registration and capacity booking in the Nabucco West pipeline has already exceeded expectations," the report said.
According to the report, Nabucco has received interest from variety of shippers, including potential shippers not part of Nabucco, the consortium of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field development or its buyers.
According to CEO of NABUCCO Gas Pipeline International GmbH Reinhard Mitschek the high levels of interest clearly show the demand for the opening of the Southern Gas Corridor connecting European markets to Caspian gas, and "also for Nabucco, as the flagship project of the Southern Gas Corridor."
In early May Nabucco Gas Pipeline International announced the launch of an open season process for capacity booking in the gas pipeline.
Nabucco spokesperson Christian Dolezal told New Europe that the pre-registration phase for interested shippers giving a clear indication of the capacity utilisation will conclude before the end of June. According to him, the capacity booking and the conclusion of the contracts with shippers will naturally take place after the final route decision by the Shah Deniz consortium.
Nabucco West is a short-cut version of Nabucco project, which provides for the construction of the pipeline from the Turkish-Bulgarian border to Austria. The project is proposed to connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Bulgarian border, transiting Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania to the Central European Gas Hub in Baumgarten, Austria. Gas to be produced during the second stage of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field development is considered as the main source for the project.
The project's current shareholders are Bulgarian Energy Holding, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas, Austrian OMV and Hungary's FGSZ.
Currently the Shah Deniz Consortium is considering two options for transporting its gas to the European markets - Nabucco West and TAP. The final decision on the pipeline route to transport Azerbaijani gas to Europe will be made in June, 2013.