MOSCOW - It will cost less to transport gas along the Nord Stream pipeline than along existing routes, Gazprom Deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev said on the Russia 24 TV channel.
"The tariffs for this gas pipeline – I’ll let you into a little secret – will be lower than for our main gas transportation routes," Medvedev said.
When it hits full capacity for 55 bcm, Nord Stream will be carrying 22 bcm of gas per year under new contracts and around 30 bcm under old ones, Medvedev said.
He declined to say what capacity the pipeline would run at in the immediate future.
Statistics indicate the first strand of the pipeline is so far operating at around a third of its capacity, or approximately 8.5 bcm in annual terms.
A feasibility study for the South Stream pipeline shows that its tariff will be "absolutely competitive with existing tariffs," Medvedev said.
