Bulgaria, Serbia ink deal for gas interconnector

The interconnector will for the first time link the gas systems of Bulgaria and Serbia, European Commission says

By 

Ebru Sengul

Anadolu Agency

A joint commitment to implement a gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Serbia was signed on Thursday, the European Commission (EC) said in a statement.

The Energy Minister of Bulgaria, Temenuzhka Petkova, and the Energy Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Antic signed the agreement during the EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The interconnector is expected to boost the diversification of energy sources in the Western Balkan region, reduce dependency on one dominant supplier and increase energy security, which will for the first time link the gas systems of Bulgaria and Serbia, the EC noted.

The project forms part of the EU’s Projects of Common Interest and is a priority in the context of the Central and South Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity High Level Group (CESEC), EC said, adding it contributes to the Serbian side of the Bulgaria-Serbia interconnector with a pre-accession grant of €49.6 million.

The interconnector will allow for the transfer of between 1 and 1.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Bulgaria to Serbia and 0.15 billion cubic meters from Serbia to Bulgaria.

"This new political impetus to the project showcases the political will of all parties. Once completed, the interconnector will constitute a major contribution to the solidarity in the Energy Union," the EC said.

"The new gas pipeline will provide a new supply route from Bulgaria not only to Serbia, but also to other parts of the South-East European region.

 This will enable access to liquefied natural gas from Greece, Azeri gas from the Southern Gas Corridor, as well as gas from Black Sea offshore production, and ensure improved integration of these sources into the EU’s internal energy market," it concluded.