The Russian state-held gas giant Gazprom has announced progresses on two large gas interconnection projects with Germany and with China: preparatory works for future pipe-laying for the 55 bcm/year Nord Stream 2 project at the German shore have begun, while 1,954 km of the 38 bcm/year Power of Siberia (PoS) gas pipeline project have been built (90.5% of the total).
Gazprom expects to complete Nord Stream 2 construction works in the Bay of Greifswald (Germany) by the end of 2018. In June 2018, the project secured the construction permit for the Russian section from the Russian Ministry of Construction and Utilities, while the Swedish government approved its application to lay two gas pipelines through its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 2 project is developed by Gazprom (50%), Uniper, Shell, OMV, Wintershall and Engie (10% each) and once built by the end of 2019, it will double the throughput of the current Nord Stream route between Vyborg (Russia) and Greifswald (Germany).
Gas supplies to China via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline project are expected to start in December 2019; once completed, it will make it possible to connect the Yakutia and Irkutsk gas production centres to the Far-East and Chinese regions.