site.btaBulgarian and Romanian Energy Ministers Review Construction of Gas Interconnector

Bulgarian and Romanian Energy Ministers Review Construction of Gas Interconnector

Rousse, on the Danube, July 23 (BTA) - The construction of the natural gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Romania will be completed in late October or early November and the pipeline can begin to carry gas by the end of the year, Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova said on Saturday. Petkova and her Romanian counterpart Victor Vlad Grigorescu were near Rousse to review the building of the interconnector.

She said the above-ground part of the interconnector has already been completed. What remains to be done is to lay 2 km of pipes under the Danube River, which is particularly difficult to carry out and is the most important part of the project. Petkova expressed confidence about the technological capacity of the Austrian company Habau, which has been selected to do the job.

Grigorescu said drilling for the Danube undercrossing began on the Bulgarian side on Friday, and work on the Romanian side started earlier. He is convinced that everything will go on schedule, because the Bulgarian and Romanian energy ministries are cooperating very well, as are the Bulgarian company Bulgartransgaz and Romania's Transgaz. Grigorescu noted that this is a very difficult project and the gas interconnector will be the first one in this part of Europe.