On 17 August 2017 the Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova inspected the ongoing construction of the gas pipeline section CS Lozenets – Nedyalsko, which is an expansion of the transit gas pipeline to Turkey and is key to the development of the existing interconnectivity betwen Bulgaria and the Republic of Turkey.
The construction of the 20-km gas pipeline section from CS Lozenets to Nedyalsko will increase the safety and capacity of the existing transit network of Bulgartransgaz EAD. The activities are part of Phase 1 of the project of common interest (PCI) 6.8.2 „Modernization, rehabilitation and expansion of the existing gas transmission infrastructure on the territory of Bulgaria“, their realization will enable the transport of additional natural gas quantities to our southern neighbour. The looping represents a technical prerequisite for reverse flow, if needed, and will establish the technical possibility for system’s flexibility under different operations and regimes.
As of mid-August 2017 the following construction works have been completed:
- The disassembly of pigging facility (PF) Nedyalsko has been completed, the replacing gas pipeline has been built and connected;
- PF Lozenets has been built and strength and tightness tests are to be carried out;
- strength and tightness tests of outlet CS Lozenets gas pipeline have been successfully completed;
- the required equipment has been supplied - pipes, bends, Tees and valves.
As the Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said the construction of gas reverse flow interconnections will supply the European gas hub Balkan with gas from different natural gas sources. “We comply with the European legislation and the requirements of the Third Energy Package when realizing our projects, everyone can pay transit fees and transit through Bulgaria”, Borisov added. “Our work is real and we deliver on one of our main priorities in the energy sector, namely – the diversification of the sources and routes of supply of natural gas”, Petkova underlined.
The commissioning of «Lozenets – Nedyalsko» is expected in 2018.
