At the sitting of the EU Energy Council in Luxembourg the EU Energy ministers confirmed their political support for Bulgaria’s proposal regarding the launch of a gas hub. Bearing in mind the fact that the EU energy strategy was a subject of discussion during this meeting, the term political support means that Brussels has taken into consideration Bulgaria’s crossroad location on the European map. In other words, the EU policy may turn the intentions into real projects. EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action Miguel Arias Cañete said that the European Union had to continue to diversify its energy sources, suppliers and routes. It means that the countries have to launch new infrastructure projects financed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, establish partnership with new manufacturers and transit countries in the Mediterranean region and Central Asia.

Thus, Bulgaria’s proposal regarding the launch of a Balkan gas hub was revived. In fact, Bulgaria’s idea about the construction of a gas hub near the city of Varna has been always part of the EU agenda. Now this idea is in the focus of EU energy policy. The idea regarding the launch of a gas hub in Bulgaria was presented for the first time by Premier Borissov to European Commissioner for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič earlier in February.

It is to the interest of Bulgaria to change the direction of the gas supplies from north-south to south-north and reach the long-desired diversification of its gas supplies. That is why, during the meeting in Sofia with the Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein, Premier Boyko Borissov underlined that Bulgaria intended to build the gas interconnection systems, especially the one with Greece. Biggest progress was registered in the construction of the interconnection between Bulgaria and Romania. In Mr Hochstein’s view, the energy links have to be reversible, so that the gas can flow in both directions.

The idea of the Bulgarian energy company Bulgartransgaz regarding the launch of a gas hub was already included in the 10 year plan of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas. The national gas network has a capacity of 7.4 billion cubic meters and the total length of the high-pressure gas pipelines amounts to 1.700 kilometers. However, this country consumes only 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The country’s transit gas transferring network has the capacity to transport 18.7 billion cubic meters per year. Its length amounts to 945 kilometers. Bulgaria transits 15 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year to its neighbors Greece, Turkey and Macedonia. If this gas network becomes reversible, Bulgaria will be able to import gas from Turkey and Greece.

The shortest road to Bulgaria’s energy independence is through the construction of interconnection gas systems. The interconnection with Greece and Turkey will divert from the Southern Gas Corridor which is to supply gas to Bulgaria from the Caspian Region (Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and possibly Iran) in 5 to 6 years. Biggest progress was registered in the construction of the interconnection with Romania which is to supply gas from Central Europe. It is only 25 kilometers long, but will have the capacity to transit 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The gas link will become reversible through the construction of the gas compressor station on Romanian territory. That is why Bulgaria’s proposal regarding the construction of a gas hub near its seaside capital Varna is of such great significance and will most likely receive political and financial support from the EU.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov