ITGI Shareholder Says Nabucco Merger Possible

Roberto Poti, central development director at Italian utility Edison SpA says that the Nabucco and the Interconnector Turkey-Greece-Italy (ITGI) pipelines could merge.

Both pipelines, together with the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) plan to bring Caspian gas to Europe.

The three pipelines are are vying to build the infrastructure to carry gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II gas field. Azerbaijan is expected to decide in the next few months which project to prioritise.

"We believe that with current demand and current (gas) availability, ITGI with its 10 billion cubic meters a year capacity is a more realistic project," said Poti.

"There could be an agreement reached so that ITGI does not clash with Nabucco,"  he told reporters on the sidelines of an energy conference.

Poti said Azerbaijan is expected to decide in June who would win a tender for 10 bcm of gas earmarked for Italy and Greece.

The country has been in talks with more than 20 firms and consortia looking to buy gas from Shah Denis II and has said it would conclude negotiations by mid 2011.

Nabucco's shareholders include Germany's RWE,  Austria's OMV, Hungary's MOL, Romania's Transgaz, Bulgaria's BEH and Turkish state pipeline firm Botas.

ITGI's shareholders are Edison, Greek DEPA and Botas.

Source: Reuters