German utility giant RWE has emerged as the favorite over Gaz de France to be a partner in the Nabucco gas pipeline consortium, reported Thomson Financial, quoting Handelsblatt as its source.
One of the consortium members, Turkey-based Botas, reportedly prefers RWE over Gaz de France (GDF). The Nabucco gas pipeline is planned to stretch all the way from Turkey to Austria. The project is estimated to cost about E5 billion.
The pipeline is expected to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas supplies, Thomson Financial said.
The forming members of the consortium are OMV, MOL, Botas, Transgas and Bulgargaz.