OREANDA-NEWS.  January 30, 2008. Belarus has the capacity to increase the amount of natural gas pumped in transit to the European Union, Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk said during consultations with a delegation of the European Commission in Minsk on January 29.

He stressed, transit through Belarus is the shortest route for Europe and the fact positively influences the economy of supplies.

“At present we have the available capacity to start additional transit via OAO Beltransgaz. The reliability and safety of the supplies are guaranteed by the technical measures Beltransgaz takes,” noted the Deputy Energy Minister. In his words, Belarus is in negotiations with Russia discussing the possibility of increasing transit through the republic. “The concept is part of the contract. When the contract is specified every year, we discuss these issues and transit volumes via Belarus are increased a little,” added Mikhail Mikhadyuk.

In his opinion, building the second trunk of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline can become a prospective project. Transportation using this route would be economically profitable. Besides, when the first trunk was built, the entire necessary infrastructure able to cheapen the construction of the second trunk was built.

According to OAO Beltransgaz Deputy Director General Dmitry Annyuk, the Belarusian section of the Yamal-Europe pipeline has actually reached the designed throughput. Every year it is used to deliver around 32 billion cubic metres of natural gas to Europe. At present the annual transit throughput of Beltransgaz gas pipelines stands close to 16 billion cubic metres.