The EUR 24 million gas pipeline project of 25 kilometers, that links the Bulgarian city of Ruse to Romania’s Giurgiu, finally became operational on Friday.
“I attended the commissioning of the first pipeline Giurgiu – Ruse gas interconnector, between Romania and Bulgaria, in the presence of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the Bulgarian Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova, a sign that both countries consider the project as of utmost importance for our energy security,” Romanian Minister of Energy, Victor Grigorescu shared on his Facebook page.
According to him, the reserve duct, which will be connected to the national transmission systems in Romania and Bulgaria, will be completed in a few days
Bulgaria and Romania launched interconnector to link their gas transmission networks and diversify resources during possible cuts of Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine.
The initial completion term of the long-waited was June 2013, due to technical problems met in building the underwater section of the pipeline.
However, Grigorescu pointed out that the works were completed one month ahead of schedule (ed. note the latest set deadline), while in recent months it has been working day and night, literally speaking.
“For Transgaz, the road is just beginning after Danube river underpassing, as the construction of BRUA (Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary/Ungaria-Austria corridor) pipeline from Romania follows. For us, the BRUA project is a national priority and I am confident that everyone involved realizes it,” Grigorescu added.
The interconnector with Romania is the first one that becomes operational since the gas crisis of 2009 which proved that Bulgaria is, in fact, totally dependent on deliveries of Russian gas and that the country is completely vulnerable, compared to other EU member-states, the quoted source notes.
Bulgaria-Romania interconnection has a total length of 25 kilometers, of which 15.4 kilometers of Bulgarian territory, 7.5 kilometers in Romania and 2.1 kilometers on the river bed.
The pipeline has a maximum capacity to carry an annual 1.5 billion cubic metres of gas both ways.