Bulgaria's PM and Turkey's energy minister open new transit gas pipeline

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Dömmezon 3rd of August opened the new transit gas pipeline to Turkey. The pipe is about 20 km long and connects Lozenets compressor station with the Nedyalsko purification facility.

Currently, gas pipelines from Russia to Macedonia, Turkey and Greece pass through Bulgaria.

The new stretch is parallel to the existing transit pipe and will allow to reverse the direction of natural gas movement from Turkey to Bulgaria if necessary. Construction started in 2016.

Thanks to the new pipeline, the capacity of the transit gas pipeline increases by 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas annually. Moreover, the movement of the blue fuel can be two-way - not only from Bulgaria to Turkey, but also vice versa.

Currently, over 100% of the gas consumed in Macedonia passes through Greece, 70% of that in Greece and between 30% and 40% of that needed in Turkey. Russia, however, plans to redirect its transit traffic from the current pipeline through Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria to Blue Stream in Turkey and Turkish stream, which is currently under construction.