Meeting of the Management of Bulgargaztransgaz with US Representatives: The Vertical Gas Corridor and Energy Security

Vladimir Malinov, Executive Director of Bulgartransgaz EAD, met with the US Special Envoy for Global Energy Integration, Joshua Voltz, and Arlene Fetizanan, the US Department of Energy Attaché for Central and Eastern Europe, the company announced. The main focus of the conversation was the deepening of cooperation between Bulgartransgaz and the United States of America in the energy sector, as well as the successful development of the Vertical Gas Corridor as key infrastructure for increasing energy security in the region.

“For 2025, liquefied gas reaches about 43 percent of the total import of natural gas in the European Union, with the US holding approximately 40 percent share of this market, strengthening its role as a key and reliable partner,” Malinov emphasized at the meeting, as quoted in the announcement.

The strategic project was also the focus of discussions during the fourth edition of the “Eastern Macedonia and Thrace” forum in Alexandroupolis, Greece. The event brought together representatives of political, business, academic, and public circles to conduct an in-depth dialogue on key and current topics. “Our region has turned from a peripheral transit zone into a center of Europe's energy future. Today we are at the center of energy flows for the region thanks to our consistency, foresight and our common ambition to achieve energy security, independence and market integration,” Malinov also said.

Bulgartransgaz plays a leading role for the region, including through its participation as a shareholder in the liquefied natural gas terminal in Alexandroupolis and the development of the Vertical Gas Corridor, defined as a strategic “energy highway”. “At the moment, the projects on Bulgarian territory are in the final phase of implementation and will be put into operation later this year,” Malinov pointed out. He also noted that after the decision of the National Assembly to adopt the so-called extension budget, the possibility of using advantageous financing for the realization of the project in Bulgaria is preserved by issuing state guarantees on loan agreements in the amount of nearly EUR 91.9 million. “The institutional support for the project guarantees increased interest from financing institutions and creates conditions for attracting the necessary capital under optimal conditions,” he added. According to him, the participation of more American companies with long-term capacity reservation along the Vertical Corridor will make it even more attractive to the market. Malinov also emphasized that the countries of the region should unite their efforts by submitting joint requests for natural gas supplies in order to optimize the parameters in the long term.

BTA recalls that yesterday, the caretaker Minister of Energy, Traycho Traykov, also met with Joshua Voltz. The main focus of the meeting was the development of the Vertical Gas Corridor, which is establishing itself as a key element for the long-term energy security of Europe. The potential for more efficient use of existing infrastructure and international agreements in the Bulgarian energy sector was discussed.