E.ON AG's Ruhrgas unit management board chairman Bernhard Reutersberg said autumn 2011 is a realistic target for the launch of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Interfax reported.

The Nord Stream AG consortium said in December 2007 that initial deliveries would begin in the spring of 2011, after saying earlier that shipments would start in 2010.

In its initial phase, Nord Stream will transport about 27.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

The 1,200-km pipeline will link Russia's Baltic coast near Vyborg with Germany's Baltic coast near Greifswald.

Gazprom owns 51 percent in the project, Germany's E.ON and BASF have 20 percent each, and the Netherlands' Gasunie owns 9 percent.


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