Bulgaria may triple gas imports from Azerbaijan

Bulgaria may receive around 640 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan in 2022, which is almost three times as high as the volumes imported in 2021, Report informs, citing informed sources in the government.

Since the beginning of the year, Bulgaria has received 130 million cubic meters (an average of around 0.9 million cubic meters daily).

Bulgaria has been receiving gas from Azerbaijan through this hub since January 1, 2021, since the construction of the interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria, the IGB, created for these purposes, has been delayed, and it will be put into operation only from July 2022.

"Daily gas supplies through IGB to Bulgaria will amount to 2.6 million cubic meters. So, in 2022, this Balkan republic will receive over 600-640 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan," the source said.

According to him, already from 2023, a contractual volume of 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year will be transported to Bulgaria via IGB in accordance with a long-term agreement signed with Bulgargaz in 2013.

The 182-kilometer IGB pipeline between Komotini (Greece) and Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) will have a capacity of 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year and will transport not only Azerbaijani gas. In the future, its throughput capacity can grow to 5 billion cubic meters per year if there is interest from potential shippers.