Standart News

It is quite likely that Bulgaria will have a gas pipeline connection with Serbia by the middle of 2011, it transpired from the report of Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy, Maya Hristova, during the Bulgarian Economic Forum (BEF).
For the construction of the gas link with Serbia, Bulgaria is expected to receive 60 million euro from the EC under the Operational Program for Regional Development. The exact cost of the project cannot be assessed yet, as calculations are still being made and the route of the pipeline is still to be specified. The layout of the route now envisages that the pipeline will go through Bulgaria's town of Dupnitsa to reach the Serbian town of Nis. Bulgaria will construct the pipeline up to its border with Serbia.
Mrs Hristova also informed that in 2011 Bulgaria would be able to consume 10-12 million cubic meters of gas from the gas depot in Chiren. Bulgaria's Minister of Energy and Economy, Traicho Traikov, stated in the National Assembly that by October 2010 the gas pipeline between Bulgaria and Romania would enter an investment phase. The same applies to a gas pipeline connection with Greece; the investments for it will flow in a month later.

Kristian Kosturkov