Bulgartransgaz has completed an assessment of the market demand for additional capacity at the connection points of the gas system of Bulgaria with Greece and Romania, as well as with the gas pipeline Bulgaria – Greece – IGB, 24Chasa.bg reports, citing. from Rador Radio Romania.

In cooperation with neighboring operators, the company is publishing demand assessment reports based on indicative forecasts received from market participants in an optional phase that started on July 3, 2023, the Bulgarian transport operator said.

The synthesized forecasts obtained by Bulgartransgaz for connection points (IP) from the performed procedures are:

• 155.9 GW per day for the Kulata/Sidirokastro connection point with an existing technical capacity of 66.6 GW per day;
• 302.2 GW per day in total for the connection points with Romania – Negru-Vode 1/Kardam and Ruse/Giurgiu, with the existing fixed technical capacity at both points amounting to 185.2 GW per day;
• 182.4 GW per day for the connection point of the IGB gas pipeline near Stara Zagora with the Bulgartransgaz transport system, with the existing technical capacity of 122.3 GW per day from the transportation operator.

Based on the evaluation results, Bulgartransgaz has started joint technical studies with the Greek operator DESFA SA to increase capacity at the Kulata/Sidirokastro entrance, with the Romanian operator Transgaz SA for Negru Vodă 1/Kardam and for Ruse/Giurgiu, as well as with the connection operator Greece-Bulgaria ICGB – to increase the capacity of the connection point in Stara Zagora.

The CEO of Bulgartransgaz, Volodymyr Malinov, commented that the received forecasts for the demand for natural gas transportation services in the direction from south to north significantly exceed existing capacities, and in some years, gas transportation exceeds the current capacity of the infrastructure by more than two times.

According to him, in order to realize the diversification ambitions of the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe, it is necessary to expand the infrastructure in order to absorb additional volumes of gas from reliable sources.

“The main factor driving the demand for transport capacity through the Bulgartransgaz network is the growing role of liquefied natural gas in the EU and the planned new LNG terminals in Greece, as well as plans to increase flows along the Southern Gas Corridor,” he added. .

Also of key importance are projects of common interest for the EU implemented by Bulgartransgaz – the expansion of the underground gas storage in Ciren and the Bulgaria-Serbia interconnector.

At the same time, a liquefied gas terminal near Alexandroupolis is under construction, in which the Bulgarian gas transport operator is a 20% co-shareholder.

These projects provide natural gas traders with additional flexibility in supply management and access to new markets. Preliminary technical studies for the additional capacity projects are scheduled to be completed by January 15, 2024, after which public consultation will take place until February 16, 2024.

Project proposals will then be submitted for approval to the relevant national regulatory authorities. The program envisages a mandatory market testing phase on July 1, 2024, reports 24Chasa.bg, as cited by Rador Radio Romania.