Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 27 / Trend A.Badalova /
Bulgaria is looking forward to the launch of Nabucco West and is doing its best to move the project ahead, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borrisov said in an interview to Euronews.
He said it is very important that Azerbaijani-Turkish Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) reaches Bulgaria.
TANAP project envisages construction of the pipeline from the eastern border of Turkey to the country's western border to supply gas from Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas field to Europe through Turkey.
On June, 26 Azerbaijan and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement on TANAP implementation. At present, a 20 per cent share in TANAP belongs to Turkish BOTAS, 80 per cent and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). The initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters a year. About six billion cubic meters will be delivered to Turkey, and the rest - to Europe.
According to Borrisov, regarding Nabucco West project, Bulgaria has done all it can.
"The parliament approved its construction. We have signed all the documents required and if necessary, we can start construction work tomorrow . I am looking forward to the launch of the Nabucco project," Borrisov said.
Nabucco West is a short-cut version of Nabucco project, which envisages construction of the pipeline from Turkish-Bulgarian border to Austria. Gas to be produced within the second phase of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas field development is considered as the main source for the project. In June the Shah Deniz consortium selected Nabucco West as the single pipeline option for the potential export of Shah Deniz Stage 2 gas to Central Europe.
The project's current shareholders are Bulgarian Energy Holding, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas, Austrian OMV, German RWE and Hungary's FGSZ, and each of them holds 16.67-percent share.
Currently, the Shah Deniz consortium considers two options to deliver its gas to Europe - TAP and Nabucco West. The final decision on a pipeline route will be made in 2013.