Kazakhstan, Astana, Sept.11. / Trend K. Konyrova /
Kazakhstan can participate in the Nabucco project, Deputy Minister of Economy and Budget Planning, Teymur Suleymanov, told journalists on Sept.11.
"Romania is interested in Kazakhstan's participation in energy projects, such as the Constanta-Trieste and Nabucco," Suleymanov said during the breaks of the 8th meeting of the Kazakh-Romanian inter-governmental commission on trade and economic cooperation in Astana.
He said that Kazakhstan can participate in the Constanta-Trieste project "as an investor, putting its investments", or as a "supplier of guaranteed oil volumes."
The agreement on construction of the Constanta-Trieste pipeline, envisaging transportation of oil from the Caspian basin to Europe, was signed by energy ministers of Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy in April 2007. The length of the pipeline will be 1, 400 kilometers. The project is worth - $3.5 billion. The pipeline's capacity is calculated to be 90 million tons of oil per year.
Regarding with the Nabucco, it is a project, which is not commercially attractive without a guaranteed gas volume. As Kazakhstan has large reserves of gas, all EU members are interested in it," Suleymanov added.
The Nabucco project worth 7.9 billion euro will deliver Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas to the EU. Nabucco shareholders are the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE with 16.67 percent each.Construction of the pipeline is expected to begin in 2011 and the first supplies - in 2014. Its maximum capacity will be 31 billion cubic meters per year. An investment solution on the project will be made in the first quarter of 2010. The Nabucco Gas Pipeline International will invest 30 percent of the project on basis of its share. The remaining 70 percent will be provided by international institutions.
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