Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Putin launches Olympic gas pipeline"
Oil will come to Sochi via the Black Sea bed.
Blackouts are a long-standing issue in Sochi. All too frequently, the lights will go out without warning. This is impermissible during the Olympic Games. Blackouts are also a headache during the vacation season. This is why a new thermal power station in Sochi has been included with the other Olympic projects. The same applies to the Djubga-Lazarevskoye-Sochi gas pipeline that will supply gas to the new thermal power plant.
On Monday Prime Minister Vladimir Putin participated in the launch of the pipeline at the Olympic construction site in the Imereti Valley.
"This is a major event not only for the forthcoming Olympic Games but also for Greater Sochi," Putin said at the ceremony.
"Some 170 kilometres of the pipeline, about 90% of it, will run along the bottom of the Black Sea. We chose this route to avoid causing damage to the forests, a part of nature that people love and are proud of," Putin explained.
He said the pipeline's potential far exceeds the region's demand for fuel and that it will guarantee a consistent supply of electricity.
"What does this mean for the people here?" Putin asked and then answered: "Some 250,000 people will gain an opportunity to supply their homes with gas. This will also remove restrictions on the infrastructure. It will be possible to build new rest homes and hotels, thereby creating new jobs. The lives of the people here will gradually change for the better. Russia in general continues to develop, and our goal is to make this process irreversible and dynamic."
After the prime minister delivered his optimistic speech, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller reported that the pipeline's dispatch room in Djubga was on the line. The dispatcher reported that the pipeline was operational via a video link as though he were launching a space ship: "All systems are functioning normally."
"Go ahead!" Putin said.
"The valve is open, and the gas is on its way."
A flame similar to the Olympic torch flared up on the screen.
"Congratulations," Putin said.
Larisa Kaftan
