The decision to participate in the construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor by signing, together with Ukraine and Slovakia, the Memorandum of Understanding to implement this initiative connects the Republic of Moldova to strategic projects in Central and South-Eastern Europe, the executive director of the national gas transmission operator Bulgartransgaz Vladimir Malinov stated in an interview given for the Sofia publication “24 Chasa”.
Reminding of the signing the Memorandum, including by Moldova, Malinov said the plans to expand the infrastructure of the participants to allow doubling capacities to deliver gas, including liquefied natural gas, were confirmed. In particular, Bulgartransgaz advocates the implementation of two projects that will increase transmission capacities from Greece to Bulgaria and from Bulgaria to Romania. The Bulgarian side considers that these strategic investments meet the criteria for benefitting from support from the EU and the Member States, which would further contribute to their timely implementation and to the economic efficiency of the route.
“So far, Bulgartransgaz and Turkey’s energy company Botaş have signed an agreement to interconnect the gas transmission networks of Bulgaria and Turkey through the Strandja/Malkochlar point. This is of key importance for the diversification of gas sources not only for Bulgaria but also for regional and European gas markets. Turkey’s gas transmission network provides access to natural gas fields in Azerbaijan, Iran and the global LNG market through regasification terminals in Turkey,” said Malinov.
For these reasons, Bulgartransgaz participates with serious investments in the construction of pipeline interconnections, but also in the expansion of the Chiren underground gas storage facility. “I would define the expansion of the Chiren gas storage facility as one of the most significant energy investments in the region at the moment. The increase in supplies to Bulgaria and South-Eastern Europe from alternative sources, including liquefied natural gas, significantly increases the need to expand gas storage. We are working intensively on the project and expect that it will be completed by the end of this year,” said the executive director of the company Bulgartransgaz.
