site.btaBulgartransgaz Director: Bulgarian Infrastructure of Vertical Gas Corridor to Be Completed by Oct. 1, 2026

The infrastructure of the Vertical Gas Corridor on Bulgarian territory will be completed by October 1, 2026, said Vladimir Malinov, CEO of Bulgartransgaz EAD, during the 9th Southeast Europe Energy Forum, organized in Thessaloniki by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics, Bulgartransgaz said in a press release on Saturday. 

“We proved that with the joint efforts of the nine gas operators from seven countries (Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Moldova), we can achieve a lot. From being just a concept, the Vertical Corridor is today a project already under construction and transforming the energy landscape. By October 1, 2026, the infrastructure on Bulgarian territory will be built, and the increased capacity will be offered at the next annual auction,” Malinov said.

One of the leading topics at the forum was the Vertical Gas Corridor and its role in ensuring energy security and industrial competitiveness in the region.

“Since we have already started building the necessary infrastructure, it will be important to make the route even more attractive,” Malinov stressed. “The Vertical Corridor is fully in line with US policy to increase the share of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the region,” he added, as quoted by Bulgartransgaz.

According to him, combining US LNG with American company investments, technology, and financing would make it possible to use the project for power generation in the region, increasing the attractiveness of American gas.

Malinov updated conference participants on construction progress in Bulgaria. On the 48-kilometre section from Kulata to Kresna, 80% of the pipes have already been welded and laid in the trench. In late August, construction work began on the Rupcha-Vetrino looping, which will increase capacity between Bulgaria and Romania.

The Bulgartransgaz CEO also held a bilateral meeting with Arlene Fetizanan, European Regional Office Director and Energy Attaché. They discussed the importance of the Vertical Corridor as key infrastructure for enhancing energy security, ensuring reliable gas supplies, and developing an integrated regional market in Southeast Europe. Fetizanan said the US government relies on Bulgartransgaz to strengthen the role of US LNG in the region, in line with EU policy to end Russian natural gas imports by 2027. She expressed readiness to provide US expert support to improve the competitiveness of gas transmission infrastructure. 

Malinov also met with Josh Huck, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Greece. They agreed that including American technology and financing in a US investor project using LNG delivered through the Vertical Corridor would interest both the US government and the Trump administration. The Vertical Corridor, they noted, will be a leading solution in ending Russian gas deliveries to Europe. Huck outlined US energy priorities and stressed the need for continued cooperation with regional gas operators.

“For us, it is important to maintain the pace of implementation and respond to the needs of the regional market,” Malinov said.