Azerbaijan, Baku, June 29 / Trend , A. Badalova/
To speed up realization of Nabucco gas pipeline project, Turkey has decided to ease requirements for transit of the Caspian and Middle East gas which will be transported through country's territory via this pipeline, Energy Intelligence reported quoting sources in energy sphere as saying.
Earlier Turkey demanded 15 percent of total volume of fuel transported via Nabucco at privileged prices to boost fast growing demand in the country.
According to BOTAS, Turkish state pipeline company, gas demand in Turkey will be 43.806 billion cubic meters in 2010, which is 7 percent higher than the consumption in 2009 which was 40.903 billion cubic meters. The main suppliers of gas to Turkey are Russia, Algeria, Nigeria and Azerbaijan.
The Nabucco project worth €7.9 billion will deliver Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas to the EU. Construction of the pipeline is expected to commence in 2010. Its maximum capacity will be 31 billion cubic meters per year. Nabucco shareholders are the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE with 16.7 percent each. Construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline project is expected to begin in 2011. The first deliveries will take place in 2014. It will have capacity of 31 billion cubic meters per year.
Today the project is at the stage of detailed engineering. The next stage of its implementation will be the signing of an intergovernmental agreement, which will be held presumably in July. The venue of the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between the EU and Turkey is Ankara.
Director of RWE for Political Affairs and Strategies of Nabucco Neil McMillan said an agreement could become a guarantor of gas supply by Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan via Nabucco gas pipeline.
"Open season" period will begin as soon as inter-governmental agreement is signed and detailed engineering stage will complete.
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