Gazprom and Gasunie discuss infrastructure projects and cooperation in small-scale LNG sector
RELEASE
Release
A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Han Fennema, Chairman of the Executive Board of Gasunie, took place today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016.
The parties discussed key areas of collaboration between the companies, including the Framework Agreement on cooperation in the small-scale LNG sector. Particular attention was paid to the progress of the pilot project for the construction of a small-scale loading terminal in the port of Rostock (Germany) for receiving, storing, and shipping liquefied natural gas that would be used as a bunker and vehicle fuel, as well as an energy resource for autonomous gasification purposes.
Alexey Miller and Han Fennema also addressed the development of gas transmission routes from Russia to Europe, emphasizing the success of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. According to preliminary data, Gazprom exported about 20 billion cubic meters of gas via Nord Stream from January 1 to June 16 of this year, which represents a 25 per cent increase from the same period of 2015.
The meeting participants stressed that, in the context of the rising demand for natural gas imports across Europe, the expansion of direct gas transmission routes from Russia would serve as an additional guarantee of reliable gas supplies to European consumers. Han Fennema pointed out the need to define optimal routes inside the European Union for delivering gas to consumers.
Background
Gasunie is a European gas infrastructure company whose network ranks among the largest high pressure gas pipeline grids in Europe. Gasunie's gas transmission network has a total annual gas throughput of approximately 125 billion cubic meters. It consists of over 15,000 kilometers of pipelines in the Netherlands and northern Germany and some 1,300 gas receiving stations. The company also offers services in the field of natural gas transportation, as well as natural gas and LNG storage.
In 2013, Gazprom and Gasunie signed the Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation.
In 2015, the companies signed the Framework Agreement on cooperation in the small-scale LNG sector in Europe.
Nord Stream is a gas pipeline with the annual capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas running from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream AG (Gazprom owns a 51 per cent stake, BASF/Wintershall and E.ON – 15.5 per cent each, and Gasunie and ENGIE – 9 per cent each) is the project operator.