Bulgaria says Nabucco is of state significance

The council of ministers of Bulgaria has called Nabucco a gas pipeline project of state significance, Trend reports.

Reinhard Mitchek, Managing Director of Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH, said that such status will speed up construction of the Bulgarian section of the pipeline.

Nabucco is the flagship project of the Southern Corridor, because it offers the best commercial and strategic choice for diversification of gas supply to Bulgaria and other European states.

The Bulgarian Cabinet approved the deal between Gas Pipeline, Bulgaria’s EOOD and Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH (NIC), signed in June 2011. The document clarifies stages for realization of the project. The Cabinet recommends the parliament to ratify the document today.

The Nabucco Gas Pipeline will transport gas from the Caspian Sea and the Middle East to EU states. Its construction is planned to start in 2013, first gas supplies are expected in 2017. The pipeline will have a maximum capacity of 31 billion cubic meters annually. The pipeline will be 3900 km long.  OMV (Austria), FGSZ (Hungary), a Bulgarian energy holding, Transgaz (Romania), Botas (Turkey) and RWE (Germany) are shares of the project.