site.btaBulgartransgaz, U.S. Officials Focus on Vertical Gas Corridor

Bulgartransgaz said on Friday that it had discussed deeper energy cooperation with the United States and the progress of the Vertical Gas Corridor with U.S. officials.

The talks involved Bulgartransgaz Executive Director Vladimir Malinov, U.S. special envoy for global energy integration Joshua Volz, and U.S. Department of Energy attaché for Central and Eastern Europe Arlene Fetizanan.

A main topic of the meeting was stronger cooperation between Bulgartransgaz and the United States in the energy sector, as well as the successful development of the Vertical Gas Corridor as key infrastructure for improving energy security in the region. “In 2025, liquefied gas accounts for about 43% of total natural gas imports into the European Union, with the United States holding about a 40% share of that market, strengthening its role as a key and reliable partner,” Malinov said, as quoted in the company’s statement.

The strategic project was also at the centre of discussions during the fourth East Macedonia and Thrace forum in Alexandroupoli, Greece. The event brought together representatives of political, business, academic and civic circles for in-depth dialogue on key current issues. “Our region has turned from a peripheral transit zone into a centre of Europe’s energy future. Today, we are at the centre of the region’s energy flows thanks to our consistency, foresight and shared ambition to achieve energy security, independence and market integration,” Malinov said.

Bulgartransgaz plays a leading role in the region, including through its participation as a shareholder in the liquefied natural gas terminal in Alexandroupoli and the development of the Vertical Gas Corridor, described as a strategic energy motorway. “At present, the projects on Bulgarian territory are in the final stage of implementation and will be put into operation later this year,” Malinov said.

He added that, following the National Assembly’s decision to adopt the so-called extension budget, the option remained open to use favourable financing for the project in Bulgaria through state guarantees on loan agreements worth nearly EUR 91.9 million. “Institutional support for the project guarantees greater interest from financing institutions and creates conditions to attract the necessary capital on optimal terms,” he said.

He added that the participation of more U.S. companies through long-term capacity bookings on the Vertical Corridor would make it even more attractive to the market. Malinov also pointed to the need for countries in the region to join efforts by submitting joint requests for natural gas supplies in order to optimize terms over the long term.

Caretaker Minister of Energy Traicho Traikov also met Joshua Volz on Thursday. A main topic of that meeting was the development of the Vertical Gas Corridor, which is establishing itself as a key element of Europe’s long-term energy security. They also discussed the potential for more effective use of existing infrastructure and international agreements in Bulgaria’s energy sector.

The Vertical Gas Corridor is a regional gas transmission initiative intended to transport diversified, non-Russian gas supplies northward from Greece, including LNG delivered via Revithoussa and Alexandroupolis, and volumes from the Southern Gas Corridor, through Bulgaria and Romania to markets such as Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia. The project is aimed at strengthening energy security and reinforcing links between Southeast and Central Europe. Traikov described it as both a supply project and a security platform. Officials said it is expected to increase transit capacity by about 50% and could provide around 10 billion cubic metres per year. Meanwhile, Parliament has approved EUR 91.9 million in state guarantees for Bulgartransgaz to expand infrastructure related to the project.