USA, Washington, Feb.24 / Trend , N.Bogdanova /
The U.S. is very interested in the Nabucco pipeline project, told TREND's Washington correspondent Neil Brown, Special Advisor to US Senator Richard G. Lugar.
"The U.S. is deeply interested on this project: " Nabucco pipeline will be a very solid project of energy security. We have to reinforce the priority over the energy sector. But most important right now is that we have to encourage Azerbaijan and Turkey to come up with a decision on the gas supplies between each other", Brown said. At present, Azerbaijan and Turkey hold talks on conclusion transit agreement on the Caspian gas supplies to Europe.
Nabucco gas pipeline project is worth €7.9 billion. Participants of the project are Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE companies. Each company has a share of 16.67 percent.
Construction of the pipeline is planned to start in 2011, and first supplies to be delivered in 2014. Maximal capacity of the pipeline will be 31 billion cubic meters per year.
International shareholders will invest 30 percent of total cost of the project, the rest 70 percent will be paid with loans.
"We are interested in price stability on energy and lower prices. We also want economically stable countries in Central Asia and we want all of them to be strong and independent. Energy security is also vital for democratic consolidation and development for Eastern European countries. It's also important to develop the reliable energy supplies. For Europe it's important in term of economic growth and other factor", Brown said.