Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller has had a working meeting with
Marcel Kremer, President of the Gasunie Company, the Netherlands.
“The parties discussed prospects of the optimization and
expansion of the Gasunie gas transportation network for the purpose of
improving the efficiency of Russian gas deliveries to European consumers,” a
representative of the Gazprom information department told Itar-Tass. “Alexei
Miller and Marcel Kramer devoted special attention to preparations for the
beginning of building of the Nord Stream gas pipeline,”
The building of the Nord Stream gas pipeline is to begin in
April, this year. Nord Stream is an entirely new route for the export of
Russian gas to Europe. It will go across the Baltic Sea from the Portovaya
Harbour, near the city of Vyborg, to the German coast (near the city of
Greifswald). The total length of the pipeline will be 1,200 kilometres.
Gazprom and Gasunie signed a comprehensive agreement on
November 6, 2007, on their participation in the Nord Stream and BBL gas
pipeline projects. On June 10, 2008, Gasunie was entered on the register of
Nord Stream stockholders. Its share in the Nord Stream project is 9 per cent.
The Gasunie gas transportation network includes some 15,000
kilometres of pipelines in the Netherlands and in the northern part of Germany,
and some 1,300 gas reception stations. This is one of the biggest high-pressure
gas transportation networks in Europe. Its capacity is 125 billion cubic metres
a year. Aside from it, Gasunie offers a number of services in the sphere of gas
infrastructure, including gas storage.
(from Itar-Tass)