“The gas pipeline construction to Turkey will nullify the risks related to the natural gas transit via Ukraine,” he said.
On December 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that “Russia in the current conditions cannot implement the South Stream project.” Gazprom CEO Miller said for his part that the South Stream project was no longer relevant. “The project is closed. This is it,” he told journalists, commenting on the results of the top-level Russia-Turkey talks.
The South Stream project estimated at €15.5 billion was meant to supply 67 billion cubic meters of gas a year. Now, the capacity of the Blue Stream gas pipeline that runs across the bottom of the Black Sea to Turkey is 16 billion cubic meters of gas a year. Turkey has repeatedly offered Russia to use its territory as a starting point for gas supplies to Europe. Turkey attaches great importance to the implementation of projects of the Trans Anatolian (TANAP) and Trans Adriatic (TAP) pipelines the sections of which pass through the territory of the republic. “Turkey plays an important role in these projects. They are implemented to meet the fuel needs that Europe will have by 2035,” Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said previously.
Russia will continue to develop its natural gas cooperation with Turkey offering it a discount on gas imports and building an additional pipeline for it.
Russia is ready to build another pipeline system and create a gas hub. “In view of Turkey’s growing needs we are not only ready to expand the Blue Stream but can build another pipeline transportation system to help Turkey meet its growing [gas] needs. If this idea is considered to be expedient, we can create an additional gas hub for consumers in southern Europe in the Turkish territory on the border with Greece,” Putin said, expressing the hope that this project is rather feasible.
Miller said that the same inlet compressor station will be used for the gas pipeline to Turkey as for the South Stream project - Russkaya compressor station.
During President Putin’s December visit to Ankara, Gazprom and Turkey’s Botas signed a memorandum of understanding on the construction of a gas pipeline under the Black Sea towards Turkey with the capacity of 63 billion cubic meters per year: 14 billion cubic meters of gas will be delivered to Turkey and the rest amount - some 50 billion cubic meters - will be supplied to the Turkish-Greek border.
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