Russia Says Pipeline to China Will Replace Nord Stream 2 | Farsnews Agency

A Russian pipeline to China will replace the Nord Stream 2 gas link to Europe, abandoned amid the Ukraine conflict, Moscow's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Thursday.

Asked in an interview with Russian television channel Rossiya-1 if Russia would replace the European Nord Stream 2 with the Asian Force Siberia 2, Novak said, "Yes".

Earlier in the day, the minister, on the sidelines of a visit to Uzbekistan, said Russia and China would soon sign agreements on the delivery of "50 billion cubic metres of gas" per year via the future Force 2 pipeline in Siberia.

This volume will almost represent the maximum capacity of Nord Stream 1 -- 55 billion cubic metres in total -- which has been shut down since September 2.

A third of Russian gas supplies to the European Union had passed through the strategic pipeline, which links Russia to Germany.

Force Siberia 2 will fuel China's energy-guzzling economy, partly via Mongolia.

Construction is due to start in 2024.