BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25. State-owned Bulgartransgaz is launching tenders related to the development of the Vertical Gas Corridor to bring gas to Moldova and Ukraine, The European Mendia says, Trend reports.
The aim is to increase natural gas transportation capacity at the Kulata/Sidirokastro interconnection points in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria and Negru-Vode/Kardam in the direction from Bulgaria to Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and other countries.
"The expansion of Bulgartransgaz's gas transportation infrastructure will help achieve the Vertical Corridor's goals of diversification and increased security of supply by pumping additional volumes of natural gas from south to north," the media outlet said.
The first order under the project will consist of the investment design and supply of the necessary materials and equipment for capacity expansion at both of these gas infrastructure interconnection points.
The first batch of works put up for auction is expected to cost less than 300 million euros in total.
Meanwhile, the idea of constructing the Vertical Gas Corridor originated in the EU in 2014.
Ukraine, Moldova, and Slovakia joined the memorandum on its construction in January 2024. The corridor originates in Greece, then goes to Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, branching off to Slovenia, and Slovakia.
Vladimir Malinov, executive director of Bulgargartransgaz, said in February 2024 that the company was considering options for supplying liquefied natural gas from Greece and Türkiye via the Bulgargartransgaz network to Ukraine via the Vertical Corridor, and from there via the Romanian and Moldovan networks.
This project is an alternative to the non EU-backed "Ring of Solidarity" project, which was initiated in 2022.
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