Listen to the news

The Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector is of strategic importance to Romania as it creates a north-south route to the Balkans that will facilitate the purchase of gas from other sources, including neighboring countries, Dan Dragan, secretary of state at the energy ministry, said at the end at the government meeting on Thursday, Agerpress agency reported, quoted by BTA.

"The opening of the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector is of strategic importance for Romania, as the gas that will be delivered to the LNG terminals in Greece will be able to enter Bulgaria's transport system and from there through the interconnector, especially through this in Negru Voda, will also be available to Romania. This interconnector creates a north-south route for the Balkans, a very important route that will facilitate the purchase of gas from other sources, including Bulgaria, Romania and the neighboring countries," said Dragan.

Asked about the status of negotiations with Azerbaijan for gas supplies, the state secretary in Romania's energy ministry said that commercial negotiations between the companies are currently underway.

Dan Dragan pointed out that the Minister of Energy of Romania, Virgil Popescu, conducts constant and constructive talks with the Azerbaijani side, and these talks will continue at the opening of the interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece.

"We expect that from a commercial point of view companies will find a balance to sign contracts for the supply of this gas, including to Romania," said Dan Dragan.

The intersystem gas connection Greece-Bulgaria connects the gas transmission networks of the two neighboring countries, thereby providing access to the Southern Gas Corridor and a number of new sources of gas, notes Agerpress.

The interconnector will transport gas from Azerbaijan via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline and from other sources through the planned LNG terminal at Alexandroupolis in northern Greece.

Rumen Radev will host the ceremony for the official opening of the interconnector with Greece

The length of the gas pipeline is 182 km, of which 151 km in Bulgaria and 31 km in Greece.

Its estimated capacity is up to three billion cubic meters of natural gas, which can be increased to five billion cubic meters of natural gas if there is market demand.

The interconnector stretches from Komotini (Northern Greece) through Kardjali, Haskovo and Dimitrovgrad to Stara Zagora (Southeastern Bulgaria).

The Memorandum of Understanding on the project was signed in 2009, and in 2011 the ICGB joint venture was established.

The initial plan was for the works to end in December 2014, Agerpress recalls, referring to BTA.

Romania

gas

Bulgaria

interconnector