Bulgaria: Negotiations underway to increase gas supplies from Azerbaijan

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Negotiations are underway to increase gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, at least for the heating season, for another 200-300 million cubic meters, Bulgarian Energy Minister Rosen Hristov said, Azernews reports per foreign media sources.

"There are signs that the Azerbaijani company is ready to discuss this proposal," he said.

Earlier, it was reported that Azerbaijan will export about 600 million cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria by the end of 2022.

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria agreed to supply 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year through the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria. However, because the IGB was still under construction, Azerbaijani gas was delivered to Bulgaria via the Kulata-Sidirokastro interconnection point.

The IGB gas pipeline is designed to connect the Greek national gas transmission system (DESFA S.A.) and the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP AG) in the area of Komotini (Greece), and with the Bulgarian gas transmission system (Bulgartransgaz EAD) in the area of Stara Zagora. The total length of the gas pipeline is 182 km, the diameter of the pipe is 32'', and a design capacity of up to 3 billion m3/year in the direction of Greece-Bulgaria.

The pipeline is designed to increase its capacity up to 5 bcm/y depending on market interest and the capacities of neighboring gas transmission systems.

The opening ceremony of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria was held in Komotini on July 8.