The first LNG carrier for Bulgaria under an agreement for access to the Turkish gas infrastructure signed between state-owned gas supplier Bulgargaz and the Turkish company BOTAS will arrive at the Marmara Ereglisi LNG terminal in on 12 April.
The liquefied natural gas is supplied by the US company Cheniere Energy, which won a tender launched by Bulgargaz to provide quantities for Bulgaria’s needs for 2023. One of the conditions for the tender was that the LNG supply should originate in countries without sanctions, embargoes or any trade restrictions.
In January, Bulgaria gained access to Turkish liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and gas transmission network under a long-term deal that will help the country replace supplies once provided by Russia.
State-owned gas supplier Bulgargaz and the Turkish pipeline operator BOTAS have signed a 13-year deal that grants Bulgaria access to Turkey’s LNG terminals. The agreement solves Bulgaria’s problem of the lack of sufficient infrastructure for unloading liquefied natural gas. Bulgaria, which before 2022 was almost fully dependent on Russian gas, is now looking for alternative gas supplies after Russia cut off deliveries in April last year over Sofia’s refusal to pay in rubles.
