Rolls-Royce has been awarded a contract from Gazkomplectimpex, a subsidiary of Gazprom, the world's largest gas company, to supply eight industrial aeroderivative gas turbines driving centrifugal compressors for the new 1,200km Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Europe.

The gas turbines at the Portovaya gas compressor station will provide front-end gas boosting for the underwater section of the Nord Stream pipeline that will run beneath the Baltic Sea, from Portavaya Bay near Vyborg to the German coast near Greiswald.

Tom Curley, President of the Rolls-Royce Energy business, said: "We are pleased to have been selected to supply the gas compression equipment for this important pipeline project."

The first compression packages are expected to be shipped in May 2010, with additional sets being delivered during that year.

The contract is another major development for Rolls-Royce in Russia this year. In June the Group opened a new office in St. Petersburg to further support activity within the growing Russian marine market.