Bulgaria will receive Russian gas via Turkey from January 1

From January 1, 2020, Bulgaria will receive Russian natural gas viaTurkey, not via Ukraine, as it has done so far. Changing the route will save Bulgaria about BGN 70 million a year from transit fees, which could lead to a 5% reduction in the price of natural gas. This was announced at an extraordinary press conference by Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova on December 30.

According to her, Bulgaria and Russia have agreed through Turkey to receive 2.9 billion cubic metres of gas annually.

Temenuzhka Petkova - Energy Minister: Since the beginning of June, Bulgartransgaz representatives have been in talks with Gazprom Export and what we have been able to finalise so far is a change of entry point. This will also lead to a reduction in the price of Russian natural gas for Bulgaria, with initial analyses showing that this will be around 5%.