Ukrainian gas transportation system to retain transit role after creation of other pipelines, says expert
Kyiv, January 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The construction of gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine – the Nord Stream and South Stream projects – will not affect the role of the Ukrainian gas transportation system in transiting gas to Europe, according to Oleksandr Todyichuk, the president of Q-club Kyiv International Energy Club.
"There are rumors that with the realization of Nord Stream and South Stream, the importance of Ukrainian gas pipelines would disappear. This is a lie used to diminish the value of the Ukrainian gas transportation system if there is talk about it being bought out," he said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.
The expert said that the importance of the Ukrainian gas transportation system is that it is a very cheap route for gas transportation to some countries, and would remain the cheapest one.
Todyichuk also said that Ukraine owns a large number of underground gas storage facilities, which are of great value.
The 1,200-km Nord Stream gas pipeline is supposed to link Russia's Baltic coast near Vyborg with Germany's Baltic coast near Greifswald. In its initial phase, Russia should supply 27.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Germany via the pipeline. Capacity is to be increased to 55 billion cubic meters per year after a second strand of the pipeline is built.
OAO Gazprom and ENI Concern on June 23, 2007 signed a memorandum on mutual understanding on the realization of the South Stream project, which is to pipe gas under the Black Sea.