site.btaPM Borissov: Bulgaria Will Be Able to Declare Full Gas Independence in 2020

November 11 (BTA) - Inspecting the
progress of construction of the Gas Interconnector
Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) on Monday, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov
said that next year Bulgaria would be entitled to say it has
achieved gas independence. The route will be completed ahead of
schedule and Bulgaria will be able to supply LNG from the United
 States, Qatar, Cyprus, Egypt and Azerbaijan, he said.

The inspection involved Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova, the
 energy regulator's Chairman Ivan Ivanov, US Ambassador Herro
Mustafa, Greek Ambassador Dimitrios Chronopoulos and
Azerbaijan's Ambassador Nargis Gurbanova.

Borissov stated: "After an extremely transparent procedure,
Bulgaria took out a loan with a bank guarantee and is
contributing 500 million leva to the project. Two Greek
companies won the contracts for pipe supply and construction.
This shows we are not just open and transparent. We have always
said that Bulgaria and Greece must share their resources -
Greece should be able to use the Black Sea and Bulgaria should
be able to use the Aegean Sea."

Addressing the ambassadors, Borissov stressed that IGB is key to
 the diversification of sources and routes for natural gas
supply to Southeastern Europe.

US Ambassador Mustafa said the project would guarantee
Bulgaria's energy security, which also means national security.

Greek Ambassador Chronopoulos said Greece, Bulgaria and the US
would be brought together in another energy project - the
floating LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis. This will change the
entire region of Greece and Bulgaria, he said.

The planned length of the pipeline is 182 km, the pipeline
diameter will be 32" and the projected capacity will be up to 3
billion cu m a year in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria.
The pipeline is designed for a capacity increase to 5 billion cu
 m. The project will ensure that Bulgaria and its neighbours
have access to alternative supplies from the Caspian Region, as
well as from existing or future LNG terminals.

Borissov said the construction of a road connecting
Alexandroupolis and Dimitrovgrad would give Bulgaria access to
the Aegean Sea, just as Greece would have access to the Black
Sea and the Danube. He added that the option of giving each
country access to one quay at selected sea ports free of charge
had been discussed with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos
Mitsotakis. Thus Greece will have a transport route northwards
to Moldova, Ukraine and Russia, while Bulgaria will be getting
goods from the south. ZH/DD


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