The head of Gazprom announced the signing of a binding memorandum with Chinese CNPC on the Power of Siberia—2 gas pipeline. An alternative to the project was considered a highway through Kazakhstan. Astana is still hoping for the project.
"We have been working on this issue for a long time, but yes, it is being discussed. This is a complex project, it depends not only on Kazakhstan and Russia, but its elaboration is underway. We all hope for successful negotiations on a number of issues," First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar said, TASS reports.
As EADaily reported, after the signing of the memorandum on the Power of Siberia — 2, Kazakhstan began discussing the fate of the gas pipeline project from Russia to China via Kazakhstan with a capacity of 40 billion cubic meters. It appeared after the start of SMO and assumed that Gazprom would gasify the northeast of the country in parallel.
However, doubts about the project were also expressed by the Chinese ambassador to Russia.
"It's a little far… They are studying, but in general it is unrealistic. I told my Russian partners that this is unrealistic," Zhang Hanhui told RIA Novosti.
According to the diplomat, for gas supplies from Russia would have to build a new gas pipeline through Kazakhstan to China, since the main consumers are located in the west of the country.
Alexey Grivach, Deputy director of the National Energy Security Fund (NWF), noted to EADaily that it was not very clear why Gazprom would build a separate route through Kazakhstan.
"It is possible and necessary to use the Central Asia—Center gas pipeline in reverse mode and the existing Central Asia-China infrastructure, which is underloaded, when agreements are reached. As for the gasification of the north of Kazakhstan, it is also possible, but as a separate commercial project," the expert said.