Dmytro Lyppa, General Director of the GTS Operator of Ukraine, suggested creating a guaranteed capacity along the entire length of the Trans-Balkan route for the gas pipeline’s operation in reverse mode. He presented a respective project during a high-level meeting with the general directors of Bulgarian, Greek, Slovakian, Romanian and Hungarian GTS operators that was held in Sofia (Bulgaria) within the framework of the “Vertical Corridor” initiative.

GTSOU expressed its readiness to join the Memorandum on the Vertical Corridor, as well as joint working groups. During the seminar, representatives of Ukraine’s Operator emphasised the need to expand the capacities of the Bulgarian and Romanian gas transmission systems, given that the carrying capacity of the Bulgarian GTS is critical for ensuring additional flow.

“The market demand assessment that was jointly conducted by the operators of Ukrainian, Romanian and Moldovan gas transmission systems indicated a 20 mcm-worth DAILY demand for transportation via the Trans-Balkan route to Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities. The Trans-Balkan route can meet the demand of customers who plan on transporting gas from the Balkan direction to consumers in Eastern and Central Europe, as well as provide a possibility to store gas in Ukraine’s gas storage facilities,” the head of GTSOU said.

Thanks to the existing infrastructure, the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline is already in part operating in reverse mode: in 2023, more than 0.5 bcm of natural gas have been pumped via this route.

The partners support GTSOU in its desire to join the Memorandum on the Vertical Corridor and are convinced that cooperation of GTS operators, as well as combination of the existing infrastructure with projects aimed at its expansion will help strengthen energy security in the region.

Learn more about the capabilities of the Trans-Balkan Corridor at the following link.