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GAZ DE FRANCE EYES NABUCCO PROJECT
Journal of Turkish Weekly
TNA with wire services / Ankara
Monday , 17 September 2007
Turkey
The French state company Gaz de France (GDF) joins the project with
Bulgarian participation for the trans-Caspian gas pipeline "Nabucco,"
informed RIA Novosti.
The French president Nicolas Sarkozy who is on official visit to
Hungary has announced the news to the journalists. The information
confirmed by the deputy general director of Gaz de France Jean-Marie
Doje: "I will not disclose a big secret if I say that GDF intends
to take part in 'Nabucco' as a partner. We can make a substantial
contribution."
Europe relies on Russia for around a quarter of its gas. Nabucco is
the proposed $5.8bn gas pipeline that would transport natural gas from
Turkey to Austria, via Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, bypassing Russia.
But Russian gas giant Gazprom has also proposed its own South Stream
pipeline under the Black Sea into Europe, which may be brought on
line earlier than the 2012 target start date for Nabucco.
The contract for the beginning of the construction of the gas pipeline
was signed on 25 June 2007 by the EU energy commissioner Andris
Piebalgs and the ministers of energy of Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania,
Hungary and Austria.
Construction of the 3,300-kilometre pipeline is expected to begin
in 2009 and is planned to be finished in 2012. The construction
work, is to be shared between the five gas companies in each of the
countries. The company leading the project is OMV from Austria. The
transport capacity of the pipeline will reach up to 30 billion cubic
meters per year in the long term, around or after 2020.
Nabucco Pipeline will be connected near Erzurum with the Tabriz-Erzurum
pipeline, and with the South Caucasus Pipeline, connecting Nabucco
Pipeline with the planned Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline. The gas will
be supplied by Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia. The
western part of the chief pipeline will pass through Turkey,
Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary to reach the western end of the pipeline,
the Baumgarten an der March, a major natural gas hub in Austria.
A southern branch, which to lead to Iraq, the Persian gulf countries
and maybe Iran can also be included in the gas pipeline.
Many countries lobbied for participation in the project. France's
application was disputable because of controversies with Turkey about
the Armenian genocide allegations during the First World War.
Turkey would have enjoyed more the participation of Azerbaijan,
but the French prevailed.
There were claims in the Turkish media that th eNabucco Project was
the reason of the sudden change in French President Sarkozy's attitude
towards Turkey.
It is said, Sarkozy had to take a step back after Turkey vetoed
France's request to join the project.
Journal of Turkish Weekly
TNA with wire services / Ankara
Monday , 17 September 2007
Turkey
The French state company Gaz de France (GDF) joins the project with
Bulgarian participation for the trans-Caspian gas pipeline "Nabucco,"
informed RIA Novosti.
The French president Nicolas Sarkozy who is on official visit to
Hungary has announced the news to the journalists. The information
confirmed by the deputy general director of Gaz de France Jean-Marie
Doje: "I will not disclose a big secret if I say that GDF intends
to take part in 'Nabucco' as a partner. We can make a substantial
contribution."
Europe relies on Russia for around a quarter of its gas. Nabucco is
the proposed $5.8bn gas pipeline that would transport natural gas from
Turkey to Austria, via Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, bypassing Russia.
But Russian gas giant Gazprom has also proposed its own South Stream
pipeline under the Black Sea into Europe, which may be brought on
line earlier than the 2012 target start date for Nabucco.
The contract for the beginning of the construction of the gas pipeline
was signed on 25 June 2007 by the EU energy commissioner Andris
Piebalgs and the ministers of energy of Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania,
Hungary and Austria.
Construction of the 3,300-kilometre pipeline is expected to begin
in 2009 and is planned to be finished in 2012. The construction
work, is to be shared between the five gas companies in each of the
countries. The company leading the project is OMV from Austria. The
transport capacity of the pipeline will reach up to 30 billion cubic
meters per year in the long term, around or after 2020.
Nabucco Pipeline will be connected near Erzurum with the Tabriz-Erzurum
pipeline, and with the South Caucasus Pipeline, connecting Nabucco
Pipeline with the planned Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline. The gas will
be supplied by Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia. The
western part of the chief pipeline will pass through Turkey,
Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary to reach the western end of the pipeline,
the Baumgarten an der March, a major natural gas hub in Austria.
A southern branch, which to lead to Iraq, the Persian gulf countries
and maybe Iran can also be included in the gas pipeline.
Many countries lobbied for participation in the project. France's
application was disputable because of controversies with Turkey about
the Armenian genocide allegations during the First World War.
Turkey would have enjoyed more the participation of Azerbaijan,
but the French prevailed.
There were claims in the Turkish media that th eNabucco Project was
the reason of the sudden change in French President Sarkozy's attitude
towards Turkey.
It is said, Sarkozy had to take a step back after Turkey vetoed
France's request to join the project.