The Prime Minister Borisov and the Serbian President Vučić inspected Balkan Stream construction

The Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić inspected the construction of Balkan Stream by helicopter. The project is a priority for the Bulgarian government. Its implementation aims at increasing the security of natural gas supplies from various sources, enhancement of competition and transparency of the natural gas market, which in turn will have a positive effect on natural gas consumers. As a key project for market integration, Balkan Stream will contribute to securing natural gas supplies to the country and the region, and also to the creation of real conditions for diversification of sources and routes, and the possibility of transporting additional natural gas quantities to and through Bulgaria. "Everything is in compliance with the rules of the European Union," emphasized the Prime Minister Borisov during the inspection.

Bulgartransgaz EAD is constructing a gas pipeline of 474 km total length. A total of 26,489 pipes or 324.26 km were delivered to the temporary construction bases. Other 10,935 pipes or 133.52 km have been delivered to the Port of Burgas and being daily transported to the temporary bases. The total humus layer removed from the gas pipeline easement is 403.19 km. The pipes delivered along the route are 281.22 km, of which 153.06 km have been welded. The excavated trench for laying the gas pipeline is 100.44 km. The gas pipeline laid in the trench is 91.43 km. The territories with archeological sites along the route are being surveyedand released for construction, in order to preserve the cultural heritage of our country during Balkan Streamconstruction.

For the overall implementation of the project for expansion of the gas transmission infrastructure from the Bulgarian-Turkish to the Bulgarian-Serbian border, two compressor stations will be constructed - CS Rasovo and CS Nova Provadia. The envisagedcompressor units at both stations will be the latest generation, manufactured by an American company that is a leader in the sector. At present, construction and installation works are being carried out on the future site of Compressor Station Rasovo. In addition to the three gas turbine units, an administrative building, production and auxiliary buildings will be located on site.

An inspection of Chiren underground gas storage facility was made, which is used to offset any seasonal swings in domestic natural gas consumption and is one of the instruments to guarantee the security of gas supplies; the active capacity of the facility is 550 mcm. The development of the gas network in the country and the region will promote the natural gas trade, boost the market competition and contribute to the functioning of a liquid gas market. In order to develop Chiren UGS to become a commercial storage facility, work on its expansion is ongoing. The planned expansion consists in a staged increase of the storage volume – larger stored natural gas volumes, larger pressure in the reservoir, larger daily injection and withdrawal flowrates. The project provides for the growth in the working gas volume of up to 1 bcm and the injection and withdrawal rates of up to 8 – 10 mcm/day. Therefore 10 new exploitation wells will be drilled and 3 observation. 3D seismic studies were launched in 2019 on the area of the Chiren structure. The studies are co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility – the grant is up to EUR 3 900 000 (50% of the value of the study).