MOSCOW, January 2 (Sputnik) — Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said that the current load of the Nord Stream demonstrated that the pipeline was in high demand on the European market, "which confirms the importance and relevance of constructing Nord Stream 2".
"On January 1, Gazprom delivered a record volume of natural gas via the Nord Stream pipeline — 160,75 million cubic meters. When recalculated to a year rate, it exceeds the projected volumes of the pipeline," the statement said.
Russia is engaged in constructing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that aims to deliver 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas a year to the European Union across the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing Ukraine. The pipeline is planned for 2018. Gazprom has a shareholder agreement to extend the existing Nord Stream with partner European energy firms.