OREANDA-NEWS. A ceremony marking the production start of large-diameter pipes for Gazprom took place today on the premises of Zagorsk Pipe Plant (ZTZ) in the Moscow Region.

The event was attended by Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Andrey Vorobyov, Governor of the Moscow Region, and Denis Safin, Director General of Zagorsk Pipe Plant.

The plant began to supply Gazprom with its products on a commercial scale in 2016. In March 2017, the Company included ZTZ’s pipes in the register of pipe products approved for use at Gazprom’s facilities based on the quality verification provided by ZTZ.

The first shipment of ZTZ’s pipes with a diameter of 1,020 and 1,420 millimeters and three-layered insulation is planned to be delivered to Gazprom as early as June 2017.

“Import substitution has been part of Gazprom’s systemic efforts for many years. It is a powerful impetus for the Russian industry and a crucial component of national energy security. Today, Gazprom buys 95 per cent of its materials and equipment in Russia. On top of that, the Company procures all of the large-diameter pipes used in building gas trunklines from Russian manufacturers.

Thanks to Gazprom’s ambitious gas transmission projects, the demand for pipe products is stable now and is bound to remain strong in the future. What is important is that Russia now has a new pipe producer that meets the rigorous standards of our Company. It means increased competitiveness in the pipe industry, which will lead to higher quality and greater economic appeal,” said Alexey Miller.