Vladimir Malinov: Laying of the offshore pipe at the terminal in Alexandroupolis will be completed by the end of July

"The implementation of the project to build a liquefied natural gas terminal near Alexandroupolis, Greece is on schedule. We expect the first deliveries to take place in January 2024. Laying of the offshore pipe is planned to be completed by the end of July." This was announced by the executive director of Bulgartransgaz EAD Vladimir Malinov during his speech in the panel "Opportunities and challenges for energy security and diversification" at the Bulgarian-Korean energy forum. The event is organized by the Atlantic Club in Bulgaria and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Sofia. Within the framework of the forum, representatives of the energy industry, representatives of the people, business and the academic sector from Bulgaria and Korea discussed the main challenges and possible solutions for the energy transformation, diversification in the country and the region, as well as the development of cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector.

Malinov reminded the forum participants of the steps taken by the Bulgarian gas transmission operator to overcome energy dependence on only one source - Russia. In 2016, the first interconnection agreement was signed between Bulgartransgaz and the Greek transmission system operator DESFA, allowing gas flows from Greece to Bulgaria via the Kulata/Sidirokastro interconnection point, with capacity being gradually increased. Thanks to this, in 2019, our country received the first deliveries of liquefied natural gas from the USA, and from January 2021, significant quantities were delivered from Azerbaijan. These are real examples of achieved diversification - the most important tool for maintaining a high level of security of supply. "In order to guarantee the possibility of storing the delivered quantities, we are also actively working on the expansion of the gas storage in Chiren, which is planned to be put into operation by the end of 2024," Malinov also said.

"Bulgartransgaz" together with the neighboring operators of transmission systems is preparing projects to increase the transmission capacity from Greece to Bulgaria and from Bulgaria to Romania. The first project is proposed to be financed under the REPowerEU chapter of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan of Bulgaria. With positive results from the market tests, the projects could be implemented in 2026, contributing to the improvement of energy security and diversification for the entire region.