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16.09.2015 15:56
© Press Office of the European Commission
The construction of a natural gas hub in Bulgaria could potentially happen only after interconnections with neighboring Serbia, Turkey and Greece are completed, EC VP Maros Sefcovic said during the “Energy Security and Energy Infrastructure in South East Europe”, which took place on September 15 and 16 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event was organised by the Energy Management Institute (ЕMI) and the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute.
In his words however, the interconnectors with neighbouring Serbia, Greece and Turkey should be first completed before Sofia moves ahead with the plans for a gas hub. Sefcovic stressed that the the interconnectors with Serbia and Greece in particular, as well as the upgrade of Bulgaria's gas transportation grid were among the priority projects for the EU, econ.bg reported.
He added that the position of Bulgaria is clearly in support of looking for a common decision for the entire southeastern region.
A new gas package as of next year
The energy commissionaire also presented the European Commission’s priorities in the energy sector for 2016. Next spring a new legal framework dubbed the “Big package for gas” is expected to be unveiled. New legal measures should also tackle the need for more transparency and effective use of energy in compliance with European laws.
Sefcovic expressed his hopes that the national energy regulators would start talking in one voice, thus removing the artificial barriers for the creation of a single European market.
Borisov: A gas hub in Bulgaria could solve the issues around South Stream
“As by today (September 15) we do not have any written notice about the cancellation of South Stream, that work on the project has been stopped and that it has been ended”, Bulgarian PM Boiko Borisov said during the first day of the energy conference in Sofia. He expressed the view that the gas pipeline project Southh Stream should be addressed together with other large-scale energy projects in the country – such as the arbitration concerning the cancelled Belene nuclear station project, the planned construction of a new unit at Kozloduy NPP and the life extension of Kozloduy’s two operating 1000-megawatt units.
Borisov also pleaded for Brussels to issue a clear statement on the penal procedure against Bulgaria for the selection of contractor for the Bulgarian onshore part of South Stream. The Bulgarian PM went on to add that all issues related to South Stream in Bulgaria could be solved, if a gas hub is built near the city of Varna, where the gas pipeline is supposed to go onshore, Mediapool. bg wrote.
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