Russia launched the first branch of the largest gas pipeline to China
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping commissioned the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, which was built over a five-year period. The pipeline supplies gas from a field in Yakutia, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The Power of Siberia gas pipeline, opened today, has the capacity to transport up to 38 billion cubic meters per year. Its launch has helped diversify the market , as Russia was previously critically dependent on supplies to European consumers. Next up is the construction of a second line of the Power of Siberia, which will allow a total of approximately 70 billion cubic meters of gas to be transported to China.
“This step takes Russian-Chinese strategic interaction in the energy sector to a qualitatively new level, bringing us closer to solving the task set together with Chinese President Xi Jinping to bring bilateral trade turnover to $2024 billion in 200,” Putin said.
According to him, the contract signed by the countries in 2014 became the largest agreement in the history of the Russian gas industry.
“In 30 years, over a trillion cubic meters of gas will be supplied to China via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. With the conclusion of this contract, a high-tech project of unprecedented scale was launched in eastern Russia. In difficult climatic conditions, in Yakutia, a new gas production center was created from scratch, the Chayandinskoye gas field, unique in its reserves, is being developed, and construction of a pipeline has begun. By the end of the project, its length across Russia will be about three thousand kilometers,” Putin noted.
“For Russia, this project is also important because gas through the pipeline will go not only for export, but also to the Amur gas processing plant, which will become one of the most powerful in the world. All facilities necessary for gas supplies along the eastern route are ready,” the Russian leader said.
Xi Jinping, who participated in the launch via video link, stressed that China intends to further develop strategic cooperation with Russia.
“The development of Chinese-Russian relations is and will be a priority in the foreign policy of each of our countries. We will steadily strengthen strategic interaction and cooperation in various fields between our countries. The eastern branch of the Russian-Chinese gas pipeline is a landmark project of bilateral energy cooperation. It serves as an example of deep integration and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries,” the Chinese leader emphasized.
Russia launches first line of largest gas pipeline to China