Reuters: Russia May Need a Decade to Bring Power of Siberia-2 Pipeline to Half Capacity

Russia will need around ten years to bring the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline to China to half of its planned capacity, Orda.kz reports, citing Reuters.

According to the agency, citing industry experts and sources familiar with the project, key elements of the deal remain unclear, despite years of negotiations between Moscow and Beijing over the construction of the pipeline.

Even if a final agreement is signed next year, construction could take another five years, and reaching half of the pipeline’s potential throughput would require an additional five years, sources told Reuters.

One source familiar with the deal said that Gazprom does not expect the pipeline to reach half capacity before 2034–2035, a timeline consistent with estimates published in September by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

A memorandum of understanding on building the Power of Siberia-2 was signed in early September.

At the time, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said the project would allow Russia to supply up to 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year to China via Mongolia.