Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 16 / Trend /
The Nabucco and ITGI pipelines could tie up since one pipeline is enough to serve Europe's gas needs, Reuters reported quoting Roberto Poti, central development director at Italian utility Edison. Edison is one of the ITGI's shareholders.
"We believe that with current demand and current (gas) availability, ITGI with its 10 billion cubic meters a year capacity is a more realistic project," Poti said.
According to Poti, there could be an agreement reached so that ITGI does not clash with Nabucco.
ITGI gas pipeline along with the planned pipelines Nabucco, White Stream and Trans-Adriatic pipeline is a part of the Southern Corridor. It aims to diversify routes and sources of energy supply, and thereby increase the EU energy security. ITGI project may enter the operational stage in 2015. Its construction will begin in 2012.
Nabucco is worth 7.9 billion euro, with its construction planned to start in 2012 and the first supplies to be commissioned in 2015. The project's participants include the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE, each having an equal 16.67 percent share. The pipeline's maximum capacity will hit 31 billion cubic meters per year.
Azerbaijan is considered as the main source of supply for the projects "Southern Corridor", in particular, the gas produced within the second stage of the development of Shah-Deniz field.
The partners developing Azerbaijani large gas condensate field Shah Deniz plan to sign contracts to sell gas from the second stage of the project development in mid-2011.
Poti said Azerbaijan is expected to decide in June who would win a tender for 10 bcm of gas earmarked for Italy and Greece.