Bold Plan: Bulgaria to Lead Energy Transformation in Southeast Europe
THESSALONIKI, GREECE - During the ninth Southeast European Energy Forum in Thessaloniki, the Bulgarian state-owned company Bulgartransgaz outlined an ambitious vision for regional energy security. To the forum participants, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics, the company's CEO, Vladimir Malinov, presented the progress of the Vertical Gas Corridor's construction, announcing a specific deadline for its completion on Bulgarian territory.
The forum was filled with anticipation, and the topic of the Vertical Gas Corridor dominated the discussions, underscoring its critical role in ensuring the energy independence and industrial competitiveness of Southeast Europe. Amid these strategic conversations, Malinov confirmed that by October 1, 2026, the infrastructure in Bulgaria will be fully built and ready to offer increased capacity at the next annual auction.
According to a press release from Bulgartransgaz, Malinov emphasized that the joint efforts of the nine gas operators from the seven countries participating in the project—Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Moldova—are key to turning the Vertical Corridor from "a concept" into "a project that is already being built and changing the energy landscape". He expressed confidence that after construction activities begin, it is important to make the route "even more attractive".
Strategic Partnership with the USA and Energy Independence
Malinov also highlighted the project's alignment with the United States' policy of increasing the share of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the region. He pointed out that combining American LNG with investments, technologies, and financing from US companies would lead to even wider use of the project, including for electricity production. This, in his words, would significantly increase the attractiveness of American gas.
The project's progress on Bulgarian territory is already tangible. Malinov informed the conference participants that in the 48-kilometer section from Kulata to Kresna, 80% of the pipes have been welded and laid in the trenches. At the end of August, real construction activities also began on the so-called Rupcha-Vetrino “looping,” which is critical for increasing capacity between Bulgaria and Romania.
High-Level Meetings in a Geopolitical Context
On the sidelines of the forum, Vladimir Malinov held a bilateral meeting with the US Department of Energy's attaché for Central and Eastern Europe, Arleen Fetizanan. The two discussed the importance of the Vertical Corridor as a key infrastructure for strengthening energy security, ensuring supplies from secure sources, and developing an integrated market in Southeast Europe.
The official statement from Bulgartransgaz quotes the Department of Energy representative, who stated that the US government is counting on the Bulgarian company to strengthen the role of American LNG in the region. This move is fully in line with European policy aimed at a complete ban on Russian natural gas supplies by 2027. Arleen Fetizanan expressed the readiness of the US to provide expert support to improve the competitiveness of the gas transmission infrastructure. This emphasis on a complete cut-off of Russian supplies highlights the scale of the change the Vertical Corridor is meant to achieve, and the resolve of European partners to break away from dependence on Russian gas, whose supplies were used as a political leverage.
Malinov also met with the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Greece, Josh Huck. According to the statement, the two agreed that the inclusion of American technologies and financing in a project by an American investor who would use American LNG supplied through the Vertical Corridor would be of significant interest to the US government and the Trump administration. This clearly shows how the Vertical Corridor is becoming a key solution for ending Russian natural gas supplies to Europe, thereby directly addressing the economic and political dependence that Moscow seeks to maintain.
At the end of his commentary, Malinov emphasized that it is important to maintain "the pace at which the project is being realized and to meet the needs of the regional market", which clearly demonstrates Bulgaria's commitment to being a driving force in this strategic project for the region.