/ world today news/ On Friday in southern Russia, the Krasnodar region, the laying of the South Stream gas pipeline begins. Along with Nord Stream, it will become another guarantor of regular supplies of Russian energy carriers to Europe.
Experts note that “South Stream” actually represents two projects. The first is the laying of the gas highway along the bottom of the Black Sea, and the second is the creation of a new gas pipeline network in Southern and Central Europe. The route of “South Stream” runs from the Russian port of Zhubga to Varna, and from Bulgaria the pipe will pass through Serbia, Ukraine , Slovenia to Italy. Detours are planned for Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The total value of South Stream, together with the land sections, is estimated at 16 billion euros. Construction is expected to be completed in 3 years, and commercial deliveries to Europe will begin in early 2016. The full capacity of the new pipeline should be 63 billion cubic meters per year, which, according to preliminary data, will be done by 2018.
These figures seem to have made EU officials take a different look at South Stream. Literally a few days before the start of construction, information appeared that the European Commission did not rule out the development of common approaches of Russia and the European Union to the development of “South Stream”. According to the European Commissioner for Energy, Günter Oettinger, Europe welcomes the idea of creating the new pipe, but emphasizes three points: environmental safety, compliance with the rules of the internal market of the European Union and state purchases. It is primarily about the Third Energy Package. Its requirements stipulate that an exporter can use a maximum of 50% of pipeline capacity. And now this very question – whether or not to allow third parties to “South Stream” – is the subject of discussion between Russia and the European Commission.
Russia has a number of issues here, says gas markets expert Vladimir Revenkov:
– The European Union continues to insist that Gazprom provide free access to the pipeline for third parties. But what third parties are we obliged to admit to this pipe? The question is open.
Another question is the European Union’s need for gas, and there is already an answer to that. Most experts are of the opinion that, regardless of the consequences of the global economic crisis, gas consumption in Europe will only grow.
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