site.btaBulgarian Energy Minister Briefs EC Vice President on Progress in Work for Gas Interconnectors

Bulgarian Energy Minister Briefs EC Vice President on Progress in Work for Gas Interconnectors

The Hague/Sofia, May 21 (BTA) - Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova met Thursday here with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic in charge of the Energy Union and briefed him on the progress in the work for the gas interconnectors between Bulgaria and neighbouring countries, Petkova's Ministry said in a press release. The meeting between the two took place during the Ministerial Conference on a new International Energy Charter held at The Hague.

Sefcovic welcomed the progress made by the Bulgarian government in the projects for the gas interconnectors. It also emerged at the meeting that an opinion is about to be received vis-a-vis the technical and legal study of the project to build a gas hub on the territory of Bulgaria.

Petkova recalled the agreements reached in Sofia at the end of April with the shareholders in the joint project company ICGB for the interconnector with Greece about the budget. She said procedures have been opened for compulsory purchase of land along the route of the gas interconnector with Greece. Petkova said that a grant made available by the EC for the project has had a key importance in its implementation since it averted the risk of delays.

Commenting the gas interconnector with Romania, Petkova said that a public procurement procedure for the selection of a contractor for the section under the Danube has reached its final stage and a winner is expected to be chosen within two weeks. The aim is to work during the summer and complete the interconnector by the end of 2015, she said.

Progress is also reported in the work for the interconnector with Turkey. The Bulgarian gas transit operator Bulgartransgaz has received 190,000 euro in financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility for the conduct of a project feasibility study. The relevant procedure has been started in time and a contractor is expected to be chosen.

A procedure for the selection of a consultant for the interconnector with Serbia was started on May 13, Petkova said.