According to Interfax, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that Russia and China are anticipated to sign a contract soon for the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline, which is designed to transport Russian gas to China.
Russia has been in talks for years about building the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline to carry 50 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year from the Yamal region in northern Russia to China via Mongolia.
Novak, President Vladimir Putin’s top oil and gas point man, is part of the official Russian delegation currently on a visit to China, though Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller is not.
During their meeting, Putin and China’s Xi Jinping committed to a “new era” of strategic partnership, with the Russian leader looking more to China to bolster his economy during the war.
“We plan additionally to finish the review and sign a contract for the construction of a gas pipeline with a capacity of 50 billion cubic metres of gas through the territory of Mongolia in the near future”, Novak was quoted as saying on the Rossiya-1 state television broadcast, referring to the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline.
Moscow and Beijing are also at work on “other new projects”, Novak said.
Russia put forward the idea for the pipeline many years ago, but it has gained urgency as Moscow looks to China to replace Europe as its major gas customer.
The 2,600-km pipeline could carry 50 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas a year, slightly less than the now defunct Nord Stream 1 pipeline linking Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
The first Power-of-Siberia pipeline runs for 3,000 km (1,865 miles) through Siberia and into China’s northeastern Heilongjiang province.
With Inputs From Reuters
