European Union: Southern Gas Corridor
The Southern Gas Corridor is a major initiative by the European Union (EU) to diversify its energy supply, and thereby reduce its dependence on a single supplier.
After years of talks between the EU and countries concerned, a plan was proposed in 2008 to build a southern corridor, with projects including the Nabucco Gas Pipeline. This EU-funded 3,300-kilometer-long pipeline project seeks to ship gas from the Caspian Sea to Austria and onward to other European countries via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. With an estimated investment of 7.9 billion euros, the pipeline is expected to deliver 31 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.
There are still daunting challenges in selecting sources of supply and pipeline routes and addressing international dynamics before the concept of this corridor can become a reality. The EU's path to energy security remains protracted.
欧盟“南部能源走廊”
“南部能源走廊”也称“南部走廊输气网”，是欧盟一直倡导的大型重点项目，旨在减少对单一国家的天然气依赖，实现欧洲能源供应渠道的多元化。欧盟在与相关国家谈判多年后，于2008年提出建设一个以纳布科天然气管道为主的“南部走廊”输气管道网络。纳布科天然气管道项目由欧盟投资，全长约3300千米，目的是将里海地区的天然气经土耳其、保加利亚、罗马尼亚和匈牙利输送至奥地利后，再输往欧盟其他国家。该项目预计投资总额为79亿欧元，年输送天然气能力为310亿立方米。当前，在气源选择、管道过境以及国际环境等方面，欧盟“南部能源走廊”构想依旧存在诸多掣肘，供气计划障碍重重，欧盟实现能源安全之路任重道远。
