NOVO-OGAREVO, January 20. /TASS/. The Nord Stream-2 pipeline project has proved its relevance, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
"The Nord Stream pipeline has been loaded up to its maximum technical capacity," Miller said adding that in recent weeks the volume of supply was by 11% above the design capacity.
That is why there is no doubt that Nord Stream-2 will also be in demand, Miller said.
"No doubt that the Nord Stream-2 project is in demand and the customer votes for it," Miller said.
Gazprom CEO also said that in 2016 Germany was the leader among foreign consumers of the company in absolute terms.
"We supplied 49.8 billion cubic meters of gas to Germany," he said.
According to Miller, the company continues to set records this year.
"Over the last two weeks our deliveries to CIS countries exceed 600 million cubic meters of gas per day and on January 19 we registered a historical record of daily gas supplies to CIS countries - 627.2 million cubic meters," he said.
Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline is scheduled to be commissioned at the turn of 2019. The offshore pipeline stretched from the Russian coast to the landfall in Germany consists of two lines with each of them having throughput capacity of 27.5 bln cubic meters per year. The new gas pipeline will double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream pipeline, that was launched in 2011.
Capital expenses of the project are estimated at 8 bln euros.
Gas supplies to Russian consumers are consistent
Gazprom’s gas supplies to Russian consumers are consistent, according to Miller.
"Gas deliveries to Russian consumers are carried out consistently," he said. He noted that before the start of the autumn-winter season Gazprom injected maximum possible volume of gas.
"October, November and December were cold months for Gazprom's customers, but so far the company’s shipments have not even reached the peak volume," Miller said.
The CEO also said that in 2016 Gazprom continued developing gas infrastructure of Russian regions.
"More than 1,800 km of gas pipelines were built. Gas supply was provided to more than 270 settlements in Russia and as of January 1, 2017 the average level of gas supply system in the country is 67.2%. We will continue this work in 2017," Miller said.
He added that the company plans to maintain the same volume and the rate of development of gas supply network.
Last year Gazprom spent 25 bln rubles ($418 mln) on these purposes.
"In general, we can spend more, but it depends on the regions, because the program of gas network development is being implemented within the framework of synchronization programs (between the company and the regions)," he said.
"But figures of gas network development will certainly not less than the figures for 2016," Miller told Putin.