The Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector will be inaugurated on July 8, when Romania will, in principle, gain access to natural gas from the Caspian through the trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP), but also from the liquefied gas (LNG) terminal in Alexandroupolis - which will probably be ready next year. Prime minister Nicolae Ciuca paid a visit to Greece to mark the completion of the project.

The 180-kilometre pipeline, which cost EUR 220 million and can carry 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the first phase, will be operational by the end of the month, the Greek Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skretas announced quoted by Ekathimerini, local Gursdeguvernare.ro reported.

Theoretically, Romanian gas imports from Azerbaijan and, in general, from the Caspian Sea area become possible through the trans-Anatolian gas pipeline TANAP, which connects with the transadriatic TAP to Italy.

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has just announced that natural gas exports from Azerbaijan to Europe will cross 10 billion cubic meters in 2022. In total, Azerbaijan will export about 23 billion cubic meters.

Separately, the future floating terminal in Alexandroupolis would allow the transit of 5.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. From Alexandroupolis, natural gas could be transported to Central Europe thanks to the new gas interconnector via Bulgaria.

iulian@romania-insider.com

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