site.btaAlexandroupolis LNG Terminal Expected to Reopen in May - Energy Minister

The Alexandroupolis LNG terminal is expected to reopen in May, and checks have been requested to establish whether the problem is purely technical or dates back to the pumps' manufacture, Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov said during Question Time in the National Assembly on Friday. He was responding to a question by Radoslav Ribarski of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria about the suspension of natural gas deliveries through the Alexandroupolis terminal, which necessitated the redirection of planned deliveries to a terminal in Turkiye under Bulgaria's agreement with Botas. 

The Alexandroupolis terminal stopped operation in late January due to technical issues.

"Gastrade is the company that operates the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal, in which the State, through Bulgartransgaz, owns 20%. It is important to mention here that we were informed in good time at the moment when there were technical problems at the terminal. Even before the complete interruption of the gas supply to the Greek network, respectively to the Bulgarian one, we immediately took action on the Bulgarian side, namely securing the necessary quantities of natural gas for consumption on the territory of the country by Bulgarian citizens and Bulgarian companies," said Stankov.

In his words, the costs related to this redirection are yet to be invoiced and will be requested by the State through Bulgargaz as the owner and applicant for terminal capacities. Bulgaria will not lose funds because it has insurances, he underscored.