Economic study examines Middle East gas line to Europe

摘要

Europe's gas import needs are projected to grow dramatically over the next three decades.The International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast gas consumption in Europe to increase to 900 billion cum (bcm) in 2030 from 480bcm in 2000. The main driver for the forecast increase in gas consumption is electric-power generation. With a slight decline in gas production over that time, Europe's gas imports are to increase to 625bcm in 2030 from 180bcm in 2000. The largest of the world's gas reserves ore concentrated in two areas near Europe: the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).The Middle East has the largest gas reserves in the world, with 72 trillion cum (tcm) of proven reserves followed by the CIS countries with 58tcm, according to BP's Statistical Review of World Energy, 2004. The Russian Federation is already Europe's largest gas supplier through large-capacity, long-distance, gas pipelines. Gas supplies from the Persian Gulf to Europe will increase considerably in the future; however, at present the Middle East plays only a marginal role in Europe's gas supply picture, and that is entirely through LNG. This article presents the results of a techno-economic study performed by ILF Consulting Engineers, Munich, that estimated the costs of piped gas from the Gulf to the European market through a long-distance gas pipeline transiting the Middle East and North Africa.