During his visit to the United States, the Executive Director of Bulgaria’s transmission system operator Bulgartransgaz, Vladimir Malinov, highlighted the need to modernise the country’s gas transmission network in order to ensure access to natural gas quantities from diverse sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) for all countries in the region.
The gas transmission infrastructure of the Bulgarian transmission operator currently uses a total of 17 US compressors produced by Solar Turbines that meet the highest operational and environmental standards.
“Ten of the compressors have replaced some obsolete units within the project for the modernisation and rehabilitation of the Bulgarian gas transmission network,” Mr Malinov said. “They have a key role in guaranteeing the reliability and flexibility of the network and the required natural gas transmission capacities.”
He revealed that four more Solar Turbines compressors will be installed on the Chiren UGS site within the project for the expansion of the underground gas storage facility, thus enabling the TSO to achieve the increase in the formation pressure required to double the capacity of the plant.
Furthermore, during a meeting with the Vice Presidents of Sempra Infrastructure and with the Executive Officer for Business Development at ExxonMobil, Mr Malinov indicated that Bulgartransgaz’s gas transmission network is highly interconnected with all neighbouring countries and secures the opportunity for significant LNG quantities to the markets in the region.
“LNG infrastructure in the region develops rapidly,” he said. “The project company Gastrade where Bulgartransgaz has a 20 per cent shareholding, will commission the LNG terminal near Alexandroupolis as of the start of 2024.”
