ASHGABAT: Turkmenistan on Wednesday revived the prospect of creating a pipeline linking its vast gas fields to Europe, as Western countries seek to fill the void left by Russian gas.

The idea of building the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline linking Turkmenistan to Europe has been discussed since the 1990s but never came to fruition amid logistical hurdles.

Speaking to an energy forum in the capital Ashgabat, Turkmen leader Serdar Berdymukhamedov said his country — which has the fourth largest gas reserves in the world — was again interested in launching new projects.

“Among (these) promising megaprojects is the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, through which natural gas will be supplied to European countries,” Berdymukhamedov said.

The pipeline, which would run under the Caspian Sea to an existing terminal in Turkey, has faced opposition from competitor Russia as well as questions over its cost effectiveness.