site.btaEnergy Minister Petkova: Public Procurements for Building Gas Interconnector with Greece to Start

Bucharest/Sofia, September 29 (BTA) - Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova took part in the 4th Meeting of the Central and South-East European Gas Connectivity (CESEC) High Level Group, held in Bucharest on September 27-28, the Energy Ministry said Friday.

The Bulgaria-Greece gas interconnector is strategic not only for Bulgaria, but for the region of Southeast Europe, the Energy Minister said, adding that serious work has been accomplished over the past two years and the project is currently at a crucial stage of its development. The documentation for awarding public procurements is currently being drafted. The selection of an engineering consultant is scheduled for October, while the pipes' supplier and a builder will be selected the following month. The interconnector's construction permit on Bulgaria's territory has been ready since last week, Petkova said, adding that this comes to show that the Bulgaria-Greece gas interconnector project's implementation is an irreversible process and is expected to be ready in 2020. She recalled that for a third year in a row, the Bulgarian Government confirms a State guarantee for the project worth 110 million euro, while additional financing is sought from Bulgarian and Greek operational programmes. "I am convinced that, thanks to Bulgaria's and Greece's joint efforts and the European Commission's support, the project will be implemented within the set deadlines," Petkova said.

The CESEC participating countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which complements the existing CESEC initiative and includes a joint approach on electricity markets, energy efficiency and renewable development. The document complements another Memorandum of Understanding from July of 2015, which pertains to a joint approach for addressing the natural gas diversification and security of supply challenges facing CESEC countries.

The projects with which this country will contribute to the initiative include an intersystem electricity power line between Bulgaria and Greece, reinforcing the internal power grid and the Bulgaria-Romania intersystem connector.

The next CESEC High Level Group meeting will be held in Bulgaria at Petkova invitation.