Status: 10/01/2022 15:10
Bulgaria has taken an important step towards getting rid of gas from Russia: In the presence of EU President von der Leyen, a gas pipeline to cover the entire country’s gas consumption was put into operation. The supplier is Azerbaijan.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has shut off gas supplies to several EU countries – apart from Germany, Bulgaria in particular has felt the effects. Starting today, Sofia’s government can replace this flaw. An oil pipeline between Bulgaria and Greece has started to operate.
The power line was inaugurated in Sofia in the presence of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. “Today is the beginning of a new era for Bulgaria and Southeast Europe,” the EU leader told an audience of heads of state and government in the region.
The project means “freedom from dependence on Russian gas”, he emphasized. At the opening ceremony, she hailed the pipeline as an important contribution to reducing Russia’s ability to use its oil or gas reserves to blackmail or punish the EU. “This pipeline changes the energy security situation for Europe.”
The “Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector” (IGB) pipeline in Komotini/Greece. The project means “freedom from dependence on Russian gas”, stressed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Image: Portal
Gas as a political weapon
According to the President of the European Commission, the 182-kilometre-long gas pipeline between the city of Komotini, in northern Greece, and the Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora, was supported by the European Union with 250 million euros. The pipeline has a capacity of three to five billion cubic meters of gas per year.
It connects Bulgaria to the Trans Adria Pipeline (TAP). This routes natural gas from Azerbaijan via Turkey to Greece and Italy. Von der Leyen emphasized that all of Bulgaria’s gas consumption could be covered thanks to the new connection.
The importance of the gas pipeline between Greece and Bulgaria, completed in July, has increased significantly since Moscow decided to use its gas supply as a political weapon. In late April, Russia cut off gas supplies to Bulgaria after Sofia refused to pay in rubles.
Azerbaijan wants to double deliveries
“Through strategic cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece, we can achieve stability in the region,” said Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. The inauguration in Sofia was also attended by the Presidents of Azerbaijan, North Macedonia and Serbia – Ilham Aliyev, Stevo Pendarovski and Aleksandar Vucic – as well as the Prime Ministers of Greece and Romania, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Nicolae Ciuca.
Mitsotakis praised the “broader geopolitical sense” of the tenure. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reiterated that his country would cooperate with the European Union in the long term. This not only involves deliveries of natural gas, but also, in the future, of electricity from renewable sources. Azerbaijan’s gas supply to the EU is expected to double by 2027.
Italy no longer receives gas
In addition to Bulgaria, Italy is also trying to minimize its dependence on Russia. Although the country received 40% of its gas from Moscow at the start of the war in Ukraine, it is said to have reduced that share to 25% in recent months. The semi-state group Eni also entered into supply agreements with Algeria.
In recent days, delivery volumes from Russia have dropped sharply. According to Eni, this culminated in the fact that the country has not received any gas since today. Russian company Gazprom has announced that it can no longer supply gas through Austria, Eni said.
Russian gas typically arrives and is distributed from the Italian-Austrian border town of Tarvisio, Italy. An Eni spokesperson told the Ansa news agency that Gazprom had announced that it was no longer able to deliver to Austria. However, according to Eni information, the Alpine republic continues to receive Russian gas, the spokesman said.