Bulgaria will access the gas infrastructure of its Turkish neighbor, according to an agreement signed Tuesday in Sofia aimed at diversifying its supply following the cessation of deliveries by Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
“
This will allow us to buy gas from all international producers and unload it in Turkey, where it suits us logistically best
,” said Bulgarian Acting Energy Minister Rossen Hristov.
According to the Turkish Energy Minister, Fatih Donmez, the contract covers the next thirteen years and may concern up to 1.5 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) transported per year, ie half of Bulgaria's needs.
The agreement between the Bulgarian public gas operator Bulgargaz and the Turkish public gas company Botas provides access to both terminals and Turkish transit networks and will also "
increase the security of deliveries
" throughout the Balkan region, it said. he adds.
SEE ALSO
- Energy: agreement of the 27 to cap the wholesale price of gas at 180 euros/MWh
Russian dependency
Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, Moscow provided almost all of the needs of Bulgaria, a member of the European Union (EU) and NATO, i.e. around 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
But the supplier suspended deliveries in April, with Sofia among customers refusing to pay in rubles as demanded by Russia in retaliation for EU sanctions.
Read alsoEnergy crisis: what does Brussels' gas price cap change for your bills?
Currently, Bulgaria imports about one billion cubic meters of natural gas from Azerbaijan.
In July, it inaugurated a new gas pipeline linking it to Greece and providing it with American LNG.
