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Bulgaria is short of 40% of natural gas

needed for winter season

IMPORTS BULGARIA is short of 40% of the natural gas it Hypothetically it is possible that they amend
would need for the winter season, despite the for- their conditions. We have [last spoken] several
mer government of Kiril Petkov having secured weeks ago, the conversation went positively. We
seven tankers of liquefied natural gas (LNG), have explained our concerns, the other party
the head of state-owned gas supplier Bulgargaz, [Gazprom] said they were groundless. We have
Georgi Topchiyski, said in an interview for Nova sent them additionally as a document for addi-
TV on August 3. tional agreement but we do not have a response,”
Bulgaria has been receiving most of its nat- Topchiyski said.
ural gas from Gazprom, but the Russian com- He added that he does not exclude the possi-
pany stopped its deliveries at the end of April as bility for Bulgaria to agree paying in rubles if it
Petkov’s government had refused to start paying gets guarantees that would not bear any risk. This
in rubles. Meanwhile, Petkov’s government has was seen as a clear signal that the caretaker gov-
secured the delivery of 1bn cubic metres of nat- ernment has been picked by President Rumen
ural gas from Azerbaijan to start being delivered Radev, among other things, to try to return Bul-
before the completion of the Greece-Bulgaria garia back to the Russian orbit of influence. It is
gas link, but that is just one third of the country’s not yet clear whether this will succeed.
annual consumption. Meanwhile, Bulgargaz is seeking a 60%
The tankers, secured by Petkov during his hike of the price of natural gas for August. The
visit in the US, would be supplied if the caretaker state energy and water regulation commission,
government of Prime Minister Gulub Donev KEVR, should decide on this request by August
that took office on August 2 secures free slots for 12.
unloading them. At the same time, KEVR’s head, Ivan Ivanov,
Topchiyski said also that the natural gas will said he does not think that the country will start
be enough for users on the regulated market and buying again gas from Gazprom, as the Euro-
50% of the amount needed for business on the pean Union is already going to a different direc-
free market. tion, aiming to achieve energy independence
He added that for the moment only the sup- within two years.
ply of the first of the seven US tankers is certain, Also on August 3, Iskren Mitov of Change
as a free slot had been secured for October. The Continues – the party of former prime minister
company is looking for slots for November and Petkov and of former finance minister Assen
December, which would be the hardest months, Vassilev – said he expects that the caretaker gov-
as at this time the demand for free slots for ernment will attempt to compromise all efforts
unloading is high, Topchiyski said. of Petkov’s government to secure natural gas for
He added that Bulgaria can secure the miss- the winter and will try to bring Gazprom back.
ing 40% from other supplies. Bulgargaz has He added that Bulgaria would have a short-
already asked for offers for seven more tankers age of gas for the winter if it does not put into
from European and US companies. The prices operation the interconnector with Greece or if
would be similar to those of Gazprom or slightly it terminates the contract with Azerbaijan. The
higher. other two options would be if the caretaker gov-
The second option is if the country resolves its ernment fails to secure slots for unloading the
dispute with Gazprom on the payment and the seven tankers with US LNG or if the Chiren gas
Russian company unfreezes the deliveries. storage is not full enough.™
‘This is a case that is not completely closed.

Week 31 05•August•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13