Today we present a project of key significance for the future of Bulgaria - Kardesa, and Bulgartransgaz will also be involved. This is a new, state-of-the-art submarine telecommunications system across the Black Sea that will connect Bulgaria and Georgia, with landing stations in Turkiye and a planned future connection to Ukraine, turning our country into a strategic entry point to a new digital corridor between Europe and Asia. That is how Bulgartransgaz’s Executive Director announced Kardesa - a part of a large scale digital connectivity initiative, known as the "middle corridor" or the Digital Silk Road that runs through the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea, and Central Asia. Bulgartransgaz is honoured that strong international companies of the rank of Vodafon, Deutsche Telekom and NEQSOL Holding recognised the Bulgarian gas transmission operator as a partner for the implementation of this strategic for Bulgaria project, he underlined. In the words of Malinov, it is important to note that the Bulgarian company will not invest additional financial resources in the project, but will participate with available assets and provide an already existing route.
Within the event a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between DZZD NOVATEL – BULGARTRANSGAZ, APOLLO SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM LIMITED and PrJSC VF Ukraine that outlines the framework, the rights and obligations of the companies involved in the work of connecting Aheloy and Sofia, a segment of the Kardesa Black Sea submarine cable project. Investors in the project are Vodafone and NEQSOL Holding, and the total amount of the investment exceeds EUR 100 million. The contractor for the submarine system is the international company Xtera, a world leader in the design and construction of submarine telecommunication networks. The parties will make every effort to realise the project by mid-2027 and to finalise and sign the contracts without unnecessary delay accordingly. Within the project, the Bulgarian gas transmission operator will work consistently for its timely and successful implementation, demonstrating institutional capacity, technical expertise and strategic vision for the development of the critical digital infrastructure.
Kardesa marks the start of a new stage for the resilience and security of the Internet infrastructure in the region. Today, the telecommunication networks are no longer just economic infrastructure, but a key element of the national security, Vladimir Malinov stressed. The project will enhance the diversification and sovereignty of data between Europe and Asia and will contribute to enhancing the cybersecurity in the energy sector by providing a physically independent telecommunication connectivity for the secure operation of critical infrastructure, he further emphasized.
The benefits to Bulgaria are significant: strategic positioning as a digital hub, attracting investment in data centres and AI infrastructure, creating high-tech jobs and strengthening the country's digital sovereignty. Kardesa is a concrete step towards a long-term competitiveness and Bulgaria's active participation in the European digital and AI ecosystem.
The construction of Kardesa Black Sea system will start in Bulgaria in 2027, and our country will be positioned at the beginning of one of the most significant new digital corridors on an international scale.
In Bulgaria, Novatel will build and operate the digital infrastructure in the region of Aheloy, as well as two independent optical routes to Sofia. The project is being implemented in partnership with Bulgartransgaz EA and is an example of an effective public-private cooperation between the telecommunication and the energy sectors.
Within the project, Bulgartransgaz EAD will provide:
- Existing pipe (Ø40) along the route Sofia– Botevgrad– Pleven– Polski Senovets– Targovishte– Provadia – Losenets– Stara Zagora– Plovdiv – Ihtiman– Sofia that was initially meant to be an auxiliary communication network;
- Up to 50 square metres of land in compressor stations for container-type colocation facilities.
