The Interconnection Bulgaria - Romania will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2014 and the foreseen date for running into commercial operation will be by the end of March 2014.
The change of the original plans for commissioning of the gas route is due to exceptional and objective difficulties related to the geological characteristics of the area under the Danube River, where the Undercrossing of the project is currently being implemented. Drilling works have been delayed due to running into resistant limestone structural formation at the progress of the drilling tunnel, preventing normal drilling works.
In the absence of further complications of geological, meteorological and technical nature, the main drilling is expected to be completed in January 2014. Soon afterwards the welded pipeline section, which have been fully completed and verified by successful tightness tests, will be pulled from Romanian to Bulgarian territory.
Regarding the land area on Bulgarian territory, already in August 2013 the linear part was constructed and the acceptance testing of GMS Ruse East have been successfully completed. Site acceptance and commissioning are forthcoming soon after completion of the Danube Undercrossing.
The construction of the Interconnector Bulgaria - Romania faced a series of technical problems resulting in delay of its commissioning.
In this regard, the construction of the terrestrial part of the interconnection lasted longer than expected as valuable archaeological findings have been discovered during the mandatory archaeological survey of the gas route. According to scientists the artifacts significantly enrich the cultural heritage by providing new information on the lifestyle and development of the nations who have lived and passed through these lands during the late Iron (V-IV century BC), Roman (I-III century), Late Antiquity (IV-VI century) and Medieval (XI-XIII century) eras.
Despite the mentioned objective obstacles, thanks to the commitment and proper coordination of our contractors and the preventive actions taken by our Company to minimize their impact on the timing of the facility commissioning, the works are to be finalized and next month the final complex tests are expected to begin.
The total length of the gas pipeline is 25 km, of which 15 km on Bulgarian territory, 7,5 km on Romanian and 2,5 km Danube Undercrossing, The diameter of the pipe is Dn 500 mm and the working pressure Pn 40 bar. The maximum design capacity of the Interconnection is 1,5 bcm/year and the minimum 0,5 bcm/year.