Rosen Hristov, the energy minister of Bulgaria, stated that the interconnector with Greece will receive act 16 today or tomorrow and officially open on October 1st. He also highlighted that Bulgaria is also developing compensatory measures for businesses so they can receive the gas the government can preserve for upcoming winters.
Hristov, showing their keen interest in auction, said, “We carry out these operations since our predictions include steady supplies throughout the heating season, and the price is the critical concern. To diversify, many liquefied gas auctions have recently been launched. We intend to establish a pipeline gas tender in areas where neighbouring nations have extra supplies.
Hristov clarified that Bulgaria is not giving up on Russian gas as Gazprom has not given a specific answer to fulfil the Bulgarian demands for gas. He claims that Gazprom recently responded to Bulgaria and agreed to supply the quantities under the contract expiring in winter. There are still opportunities to get gas for Gazprom, and Bulgaria is working hard for it.
Hristov also shared his thoughts about Bulgaranz; he added, “In this situation, it is unnecessary to dismiss a possible provider, “Bulgargaz” who is still requesting for the contract. Several vendors are the subject of ongoing negotiations. There is no chance of getting overwhelmed with inexpensive gas and not knowing what to do with it”.
Hristov also emphasizes that the cabinet doesn’t want an arbitration case. He added, “The liquefied gas tankers were not real, there was no chance to pick them up and unload them, and the short deadline made it difficult to get slots. For 2023, Greece will release a slot tender in mid-October, and we plan to participate. We are in active negotiation with the Turkish side this year and next year too”.