According to the statement from the Romanian natural gas transmission system operator Transgaz, the Giurgiu-Ruse gas pipeline, which connects gas networks of Romania and Bulgaria, will be completed in august, while the first quantities of gas should be transported by the end of this year.
The interconnection between Romania and Bulgaria should have been completed back in 2012, but it was delayed several times due to technical problems regarding the construction of the section under the Danube river. The statement from Transgaz explained that this is reverse-flow gas pipeline, which could be used to import and export natural gas. At the first stage, this gas interconnection will have limited export capacities, until the completion of BRHA (Bulgaria-RomaniaHungary-Austria) gas pipeline project.
Giurgiu-Ruse gas interconnection is a two-way pipeline with the capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The total length of gas pipeline will be 25 kilometers, of which 15.4 kilometers are on Bulgarian territory and 2.1 kilometers will be drilled under Danube. Total cost of the project is about 24 million euros, of which the EU will provide 9 million euros, Bulgarian Bulgartransgaz will provide 11 million euros, while Transgaz should provide only about 4 million euros. The construction of the section under the Danube is the last stage before the completion of the interconnector and the agreement for its construction was signed with the Austrian company HABAU.
In addition to the main pipeline, Bulgartransgaz and Transgaz have signed an agreement for the construction of backup gas pipeline under the Danube. The company INSPET SA has been selected as the main contractor in accordance with the Romanian law. The backup pipeline should be completed within 214 days after the start of its construction, transmits Serbia-energy.eu
