Azerbaijan, Baku, July 6 / Trend A. Badalova /
Nabucco gas pipeline consortium, envisaging transportation of natural gas from the Caspian region and the Middle East to the EU, welcomes the current market interest in the project. The consortium of the project has six shareholders. It is open for the seventh partner, Spokesperson Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH, Christian Dolezal, told Trend via e-mail.
"Nabucco consortium always stated that we are open for the seventh shareholder if it would further strengthen the project," Dolezal said.
We appreciate if there is interest in the market but the Shareholders have to decide about that, he said.
Recently, various companies' interest in participating in the project "Nabucco" has increased. Last week the media reported that the state fund of Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) may buy a stake in the project by the end of this year. IPIC is a subsidiary of National Oil Company of Abu Dhabi. It is responsible for all foreign investments in the petroleum and chemical sectors of the country. The company has a 20 percent stake in Austrian OMV, which is the operator of the project "Nabucco".
Previously, French company GDF Suez showed its interest in participating in the project.
The operator of "Nabucco" gas pipeline, the Austrian company OMV, did not say whether shareholders negotiate with IPIC to join the consortium.
Nabucco gas pipeline project worth €7.9 billion envisages gas supply from the Caspian region to EU countries. Participants of the project are Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE companies. Each of participants has equal share to the amount of 16.67 percent.
Construction of gas pipeline is planned to be launched in 2011, the first supplies - in 2014.
About 30 percent of the total project cost will be invested by shareholders Nabucco Gas Pipeline International, based on equity. The remaining 70 percent will be paid by loans.