Moscow hosted today a meeting of the Coordination Committee for Sci-Tech Collaboration between Gazprom and Gasunie. The meeting was chaired by Vlada Rusakova, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Strategic Development Department of Gazprom and Pieter Trienekens, Member of the Executive Board, Director Participations and Business Development of Gasunie.

Heads of specialized subdivisions of Gazprom Administration and its subsidiaries – Gazprom promgaz, NIIgazeconomika and Gazprom razvitiye, as well as project managers of Gasunie took part in the work of the Coordination Committee.

The meeting participants delivered presentations on the progress of implementing the Program of Scientific and Technical Collaboration between Gazprom and Gasunie for 2010–2012. The parties expressed satisfaction with the currently achieved results.

It has been highlighted at the meeting that the establishment of the Pan European multilevel information and analytical system integrating the cooperation between dispatcher centers based on modern market relations in gas trade is a most important vector of scientific and technical collaboration between the two companies.

The meeting participants paid attention to the application of energy-saving technologies and use of renewable energy sources as well as economic and legal aspects of biogas production and transportation. Besides the issues related to small-scale LNG production were considered.

Background

Gasunie is a European natural gas infrastructure company. Gasunie network ranks among the largest high-pressure gas pipeline grids in Europe, consisting of over 15,000 kilometers of pipelines in the Netherlands and northern Germany and approximately 1,300 gas receiving stations. The annual throughput capacity of the gas network totals some 135 billion cubic meters. Gasunie offers transportation services via its subsidiaries Gas Transport Services B.V. in the Netherlands and Gasunie Deutschland in Germany. In addition, the company offers other services in the gas infrastructure sector including natural gas and LNG storage.

On November 6, 2007 Gazprom and Gasunie signed the Agreement on accession of Gasunie to the Nord Stream project.

On June 10, 2008 Gasunie was added into the Nord Stream AG shareholders register as a new shareholder obtaining a 9 per cent stake in the joint venture.

On December 7, 2007 Gazprom and Gasunie signed the Agreement on Sci-Tech Cooperation.

On June 18, 2010 Gazprom and Gasunie signed the Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation, which provides for expanding the two companies' interaction in the field of gas transportation infrastructure, underground gas storage, Nord Stream gas pipeline construction, sci-tech cooperation, LNG, environmental protection, energy efficiency, information and cultural exchange, personnel management etc.