Construction of Mongolian part of Russian gas link to China may start in early 2024 – TASS

MOSCOW : Construction of the Mongolian portion of Russia’s planned new Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline to China may start in the first quarter or first half of 2024, TASS news agency quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko as saying on Tuesday.

Russia has been in talks for years about building the Power of Siberia-2 to bring 50 billion cubic metres of gas a year from northern Russia to China via Mongolia – almost as much as the now idle Nord Stream 1 pipeline under the Baltic Sea that was damaged by explosions last year. But agreement on key issues including pricing remains elusive.

Russia, which is diverting its energy exports from Europe to Asia amid political fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, currently exports gas to China through the Power of Siberia 1 pipeline, via which it aims to raise supplies to 38 bcm annually by 2025.

Abramchenko said after a meeting of a Russia-Mongolia inter-governmental commission in Ulaanbaatar that approval of the design paperwork for the Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline, the Mongolian portion of Power of Siberia-2, was expected in the first quarter of next year.

“After that you can go to the construction site,” TASS quoted her as saying.