The "Vertical Gas Corridor" initiative is expanding with the inclusion of operators Nomagas from North Macedonia and Transportgas Srbija. The official signing of the new memorandum of understanding took place yesterday in Thessaloniki during the 10th Southeast Europe Energy Forum.
With these new additions, the project now brings together a total of nine countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Moldova. According to Bulgartransgaz, this move aims to improve regional connectivity and diversify the sources and routes for natural gas transportation.
"Bulgaria plays an important role in the energy security of the Western Balkans. The development of the Vertical Gas Corridor and the inclusion of Serbia and North Macedonia in the project is a logical step toward strengthening regional integration and the security of energy supplies," noted Energy Minister Iva Petrova.
The Executive Director of Bulgartransgaz, Kiril Ravnachki, pointed out that the corridor is becoming a "gateway for secure supplies of liquefied natural gas from our strategic partner, the USA." The companies will work on optimizing infrastructure and developing capabilities for bidirectional transmission. The construction of the necessary infrastructure on Bulgarian territory is expected to be completed by October 1, 2026.