Power of Baikal: Renamed pipeline seeks to add 50 bcm to China exports

During an official visit to Beijing led by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced that Moscow and Beijing are on the verge of finalizing terms for the construction of the "Power of Baikal" ("Sila Baikal") gas pipeline, a project formerly known as "Power of Siberia 2." If realized, the infrastructure will expand Russia's annual gas export capacity to China by 50 billion cubic meters, marking a significant escalation in the scale of trans-Siberian energy logistics. Geographic and Operational Realignment The shift from "Power of Siberia 2" to "Sila Baikal" is not merely a branding exercise but a reflection of the physical routing constraints and commercial distinctions within the regional energy grid. According to Novak, the new designation aligns with the pipeline's planned trajectory along the southern shore of Lake Baikal. This geographic specificity helps differentiate the new export route from the already operational "Power of Siberia" line, allowing for clearer accounting of capacity and flow allocation within the Russian energy system. The project serves as a central pillar for the strategic reorientation of Russia's energy exports toward East Asia. The scope of the initiative encompasses the construction of an export mainline with a designed capacity of 50 billion cubic meters per year, a transit segment known as the "Union-East" route traversing Mongolian territory, and the development of supporting infrastructure intended to facilitate domestic gasification in Russia's eastern regions.