Bulgaria-Turkey gas pipeline could pump Azeri gas
Bulgaria and Turkey have agreed to launch an
existing gas pipeline connecting the two countries run in both
directions. The agreement, reflected in a memorandum of
understanding, will allow Bulgaria to receive fuel from Turkey,
Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, the country’s Energy Minister, Traycho
Traykov, said Sunday, according to the Money.bg news portal.
Traykov said the gas flow will be reversed only if the conduit is at a standstill.
Bulgaria is currently supplied with gas only through a pipeline from Russia, Reuters reported. The Balkan state is consuming part of the fuel domestically, while the rest is transported to Turkey. Traykov told Bulgarian National Radio that current gas supplies coming from Russia to Greece and Turkey can only flow in one direction, affecting Bulgaria's supply. However, the agreement, signed by Bulgarian gas supplier Bulgargaz and Turkey's Botas will allow the country to import natural gas from Turkey via the reversible link.
Bulgaria was one of the countries hit hard by the shortage of gas due to the early 2009 "gas war" between Russia and Ukraine. Following the dispute, which cut off supplies to energy-thirsty European markets through Ukraine for two weeks, Sofia took strides to diversify its gas supplies. In November 2009, it signed an agreement with Azerbaijan on buying up to 1 billion cubic meters of gas from the South Caucasus republic annually.
According to the CIA Factbook, Bulgaria consumes slightly over 3bn cubic meters of gas per year, with only 300 million cubic meters produced domestically. Russian giant Gazprom is the country’s key gas partner.*
Traykov said the gas flow will be reversed only if the conduit is at a standstill.
Bulgaria is currently supplied with gas only through a pipeline from Russia, Reuters reported. The Balkan state is consuming part of the fuel domestically, while the rest is transported to Turkey. Traykov told Bulgarian National Radio that current gas supplies coming from Russia to Greece and Turkey can only flow in one direction, affecting Bulgaria's supply. However, the agreement, signed by Bulgarian gas supplier Bulgargaz and Turkey's Botas will allow the country to import natural gas from Turkey via the reversible link.
Bulgaria was one of the countries hit hard by the shortage of gas due to the early 2009 "gas war" between Russia and Ukraine. Following the dispute, which cut off supplies to energy-thirsty European markets through Ukraine for two weeks, Sofia took strides to diversify its gas supplies. In November 2009, it signed an agreement with Azerbaijan on buying up to 1 billion cubic meters of gas from the South Caucasus republic annually.
According to the CIA Factbook, Bulgaria consumes slightly over 3bn cubic meters of gas per year, with only 300 million cubic meters produced domestically. Russian giant Gazprom is the country’s key gas partner.*
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