In line with the priority of the current Bulgarian government to complete the construction of the gas interconnections with the countries neighbouring Bulgaria Bulgartransgaz EAD stepped up the realization of the interconnection with Romania. The company management decided to launch a public procurement for the construction of the gas pipeline undercrossing. The Romanian and Bulgarian gas transmission operators will hold a joint public procurement award procedure in line with the Bulgarian Public Procurement Act. Transgaz S.A., Romania, authorized Bulgartransgaz EAD to start the joint procedure in line with the PPA on behalf of and at the expense of the Romanian gas operator. The procurement subject is „Construction of a main Dn 500 mm gas pipeline of a crossing (including the Danube river undercrossing) to interconnect the gas transmission systems of Bulgaria and Romania” and the estimated value is EUR 4,7 million, VAT excluded.
The project to interconnect the gas transmission systems of Bulgaria and Romania is realized jointly by the gas transmission operators of the two countries - Bulgartransgaz EAD and Transgaz S.A., Romania. The reverse flow interconnection is 25 km long, of which 15,4 km on the Bulgarian territory and 7,5 km on the Romanian. The length of the Danube river undercrossing is 2,1 km. The maximum capacity of the interconnection is 1,5 bcm/year.
The estimated value of the project is about EUR 24 million. Grant financial assistance under the European Energy Programme for Recovery has been ensured for the realization of the project to both companies amounting to up to EUR 8 929 000, and the grant assistance for the Bulgarian section sums up to EUR 4 375 294.
The expectations are the Interconnection Bulgaria-Romania to be commissioned within 2015.