Gazprom cuts TurkStream capacity by almost half

Gazprom has cut the capacity of the planned TurkStream gas pipeline project by almost 50 percent, due to developments on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Alexei Miller, Gazprom CEO, said at an industry conference on Tuesday.

The initial proposed capacity of the TurkStream pipeline was 63 bcm (2.2 tcf) of gas per year, now down to 32 bcm (1.3 tcf) of gas per year. This pipeline will allow Russian gas to enter Europe, bypassing Ukraine.

Gazprom has agreed with a number of other companies to build phases three and four of the Nord Stream pipeline, which will run across the Baltic Sea into Germany. Once completed, the pipeline will have a capacity of 55 bcm (1.94 tcf) per year, doubling its existing capacity.

The proposed TurkStream project includes four lines, each with a capacity to carry 15.8 bcm (556 bcf) per year. The TurkStream pipeline was conceived after South Stream was scrapped, as Russian relations with the EU deteriorated.

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