ECONOMY
NABUCCO GAS PIPELINE TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN 2011, RAINHARD MITSCHEK
Baku, 5 February (AZERTAC). There`s a realistic chance that the financial close of the Nabucco gas pipeline project is due just before the end of 2009 and construction could start in 2011, Rainhard Mitschek, who heads the Nabucco project, told press conference in Ankara. Rainhard Mitschek also said European Commission is ready to back up this project and has already announced that it plans to invest 250 million Euro in the Nabucco pipeline. Nabucco, which sees intergovernmental gas pipeline agreement to be signed in April, is likely to bring 8-10 billion cubic meters of initial gas before the end of 2014, and total amount will raise to 31 billion cubic meters by the year 2019. The project is expected to cost €7.9 billion and will be designed for a gas transport capacity of 31 billion cubic meters a year.
According to Rainhard Mitschek, within the nearest 20 years Europe`s gas needs will rise, and thus, there will be a need for safe and reliable energy source. Turkey is a key player in Nabucco project and consortium wants the pipeline to run from planned site at Ahiboz near Ankara. As for the Blue Stream project, the Head of Nabucco does not exclude its possible inclusion in Nabucco system in future.