Sofia, February 11 (BTA) - "The successful implementation of the
 strategic project for the Southern Gas Corridor is a crucial
part of what has been achieved with regards to the
diversification of gas supplies in the past six years. The
project boosts the energy security of Bulgaria, Southeastern
Europe and the whole EU," said Bulgarian Energy Minister
Temenuzhka Petkova during the seventh Ministerial Meeting of the
 Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council on Thursday.

Energy ministers of more than ten countries and representatives
of the European Union, the World Bank, the European Bank for
Development and the Asian Development Bank discussed the
implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor, the completion of
the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and other key energy projects
such as the gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece (IGB)
 and the Southern Caucasus Pipeline (SCPX). This year, the
meeting which is traditionally held in Baku, took place via
video conference.
 
Minister Petkova said that the energy sector of EU countries is
faced with serious challenges, among which is the security of
energy supplies in the long term. Diversification of sources and
 routes for natural gas supplies and the liberalization of the
natural gas market are among the key priorities of the Bulgarian
 government and through their implementation Bulgaria will
successfully tackle this challenge, added Petkova.

Following up on these piorities, as of December 31 2020 Bulgaria
 has been receiving Azeri natural gas along the Southern Gas
Corridor. With the implementation of a contract for the supply
of 1 bln cu m of natural gas annually from the Shah Deniz gas
field in the next 25 years, Azerbaijan will become Bulgaria's
second gas supplier.

Bulgaria is an integral part of the development of the Southern
Gas Corridor through the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector which
has an important geostrategic significance to the
diversification of gas supplies, added Minister Petkova.
According to her, the project is key to the implementation of a
joint initiative between Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary
for the construction of a Vertical Gas Corridor for gas supplies
 from the South to the North. Despite the delay of the project
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Corridor is expected to be
commissioned in the second half of 2021.

Minister Petkova underscored the role of the intersystem
connectivity with neighbouring countries and the participation
of Bulgartransgas as a shareholder in the LNG terminal at
Alexandroupolis in achieving the strategic objectives in
relation to diversification of gas supplies.

During the meeting representatives of ICGB  joint venture
company said that currently the contracts for the manufacture
and delivery of the pipes for the Greece-Bulgaira interconnector
 has been successfully completed. Some 160 km from the 182-km
route have been cleared and pipes have been laid out over 130 km
 of the route in preparation for the next stage of construction.
 In the next few days pipes over 100 km are expected to be
welded. The Greek company Avax which is in charge of the design
and the construction of the interconnector projects that it will
 be completed at the end of 2021.

The interconnector is part of the Vertical Gas Corridor
(Greece-Bulgaria), which supplies natural gas from the Southern
Gas Corridor and LNG to Southeast and Central Europe as well as
Ukraine. NV/PP