Azerbaijan, Baku, June 6 / Trend, E.Ismayilov /
Capacity of the Nabucco pipeline (31 billion cubic meters) will not be enough to transport growing volumes of gas production in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, Austria's OMV Gas and Power regional manager Wolfgang Sporrer said on Saturday.
He said one should not perceive the changes in the schedule of the Nabucco project's implementation as a delay of the project. Changing the terms of the project's implementation is associated with the synchronization of start of gas production process in some countries, considered as potential gas suppliers.
Sporrer said now work is underway to ensure Turkmen gas supplies to Nabucco through Azerbaijan's territory. It may be possible with the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, which will ensure Turkmen gas entry into Nabucco.
According to forecasts, gas consumption in Europe gradually increases and demand for gas will hit about 80 billion cubic meters by 2020, and later this figure will increase, he said.
At present, gas is supplied to Europe from Norway, Russia and North Africa, but a decision was made to develop southern direction ("Southern Gas Corridor") to ensure energy security.
One of the projects of this corridor is the Nabucco gas pipeline project, which is the only project that has a legal basis. The project envisages gas supply by using two branches Azerbaijan-Turkey and Iraq-Turkey, and they will connect on the Turkish territory.
Southern Corridor is a priority EU energy project diversifying energy supply routes and sources and increasing EU energy security. The Southern Corridor also includes the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), White Stream, and ITGI (Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline).
Nabucco project envisages gas supplies from the Caspian region and the Middle East to the EU countries. The pipeline's maximum capacity will hit 31 billion cubic meters per year.
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.
In early May, the Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH announced the postponement of the project. Construction was postponed to 2013 and first supplies to 2017.