"Bulgartransgaz" EAD is developing its infrastructure so that gas flows reach EU countries

Bulgartransgaz EAD is developing and modernizing its infrastructure to ensure a high level of inter-system connectivity with significant transmission capacities. This allows not only to guarantee gas supplies for the country, but also for the gas flows passing through Bulgaria to reach the vulnerable countries of the European Union". This was said by the executive director of Bulgartransgaz EAD Vladimir Malinov during the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece. He participated in a discussion on the role of the Eastern Mediterranean in the energy supply to Central and South-Eastern Europe with the development of its LNG infrastructure. The General Director of the Directorate General "Energy" of the European Commission Dite Yul Jorgensen, Jeffrey Payat - assistant secretary in the Bureau of Energy Resources of the US State Department, the executive director of DESFA Maria Gali and others took part in the discussion.

Vladimir Malinov presented the progress on the implementation of Bulgartransgaz projects aimed at security and diversification of gas supplies.

"This year we launched the expansion of the Chiren underground gas storage. The availability of sufficient capacity for gas storage, injection and production is crucial for the successful entry into the market of alternative sources of pipeline gas and LNG," emphasized Malinov. Expanding storage will provide additional flexibility, increase market integration and increase competition. He recalled that with its status as a project of common interest, the Chiren extension received financial assistance from the Connecting Europe Facility. The synergy of the project with the LNG terminals in the region, incl. Alexandroupolis, as well as with the significant transmission capacities at the connection points with the neighboring countries determine the importance of the repository in a regional aspect.

Malinov also emphasized the participation of Bulgartransgaz EAD with 20% as a shareholder in the project to build an LNG terminal near Alexandroupolis, Greece - an infrastructure that will provide new quantities of gas at competitive prices for the markets in the region and improve their liquidity. These projects are key to the entry of new quantities of natural gas from alternative sources, increasing energy security in the South East Europe region. "A few days ago, a memorandum was signed in Sofia between Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Azerbaijan on the STRING initiative, which aims to immediately provide additional quantities of natural gas to Europe from Azerbaijan via a secure route," he added. According to him, the initiative is open to other countries. For example, the accession of Greece as a country where projects for new liquefied natural gas terminals are being developed and thanks to the infrastructure of the gas transmission operator DESFA, will provide additional gas quantities and diversification for countries in the region.

Within the framework of the Delphi Forum, Vladimir Malinov also participated in a discussion dedicated to energy security and European autonomy in the light of the development and introduction of hydrogen technologies. According to him, gas transmission system operators will have a key role in the process of decarbonization and development of a hydrogen-based economy. "Our expertise, know-how and significant experience in the development and operation of pipeline infrastructure will ensure the provision of the infrastructure required for the use of hydrogen." Bulgartransgaz, DESFA and other operators in the region are already planning to connect hydrogen networks. In this way, hydrogen production in the region will be stimulated and another opportunity for energy independence will be provided.