WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The start of a gas pipeline interconnector between Poland and the Czech Republic might be part of a grander scheme that could include Nabucco, an official said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Czech counterpart Petr Necas attended the opening of the gas pipeline interconnector between Poland and the Czech Republic.
The project brings another 17 billion cubic feet of natural gas to the Polish gas transmission system each year.
Filip Thon, president of RWE Polska, the Polish division of the German energy company, said the interconnector could be part of a larger expansion project, ultimately connecting to Nabucco gas pipeline, part of the European Union's planned Southern Corridor.
"The construction of this interconnector will allow diversification of supplies, thus improving the energy supply security of Poland," he added.
The Southern Corridor is seen as a key to Europe's plans to break Russia's grip on the regional energy sector. The projects included in the plan gained momentum with recent European initiatives in gas-rich Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
