Bulgaria’s Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov traveled to Austria on February 5 2008 to sign the contract with the sixth company joining the Nabucco gas pipeline project, Germany's RWE Group, the ministry said in a statement.

Five companies that are already part of the Nabucco Gas Pipeline International have accepted a sixth partner, who will have an equal stake in the pipeline. The other members of the consortium are Turkey’s Botas, Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz, Transgaz of Romania, Hungary’s Mol and Austria’s OMV Gas.

The Nabucco gas pipeline, considered a priority project by the EU, will transport nearly 25 billion cu m of natural gas from Turkey's eastern borders through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to a gas distribution centre in Austria. Its capacity can later be expanded to 31 billion cu m.

Dimitrov and dignitaries from the other countries through which the pipeline will pass were invited to attend the signing by Austrian economy and labour minister Martin Bartenstein, who is hosting the event.

RWE beat out competition from Gaz de France to join the consortium, but the French firm could still join the project, with Nabucco Gas Pipeline International managing director Reinhard Mitschek saying last month that a seventh partner could be co-opted.

Gaz de France's bid to join Nabucco received a boost on February 4, when Romanian president Traian Basescu said, after meeting with French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy, that his country will support Gaz de France's efforts to join the consortium.

RWE wants to gain a bigger foothold in southeastern Europe and is one of the five companies bidding for 49 per cent in Bulgaria’s Belene nuclear power plant.

While in Austria, Dimitrov is also scheduled to meet Mitschek and OMV chairman Werner Auli, Bulgarian news agency BTA said.