The construction of the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector should start within 2-3 months, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova told MPs in response to a question about gas supplies from Azerbaijan, Focus News Agencyreports. She said that building necessary infrastructure and concluding supply contracts were prerequisites for gas diversification. “In September Bulgargaz and Azerbaijani company Socar signed a contract for 1 billion cu m of gas. It is directly linked to two projects – the Southern Gas Corridor with the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector as an integral part. That 1 billion cu m is equal to 1/3 of our natural gas consumption. We can now talk about real diversification and a competitive environment,” Petkova said. She expects the procurement procedures for pipe supplier, engineering consultant and builder for the interconnector to be completed within a few days. The project is scheduled for completion in 2020.
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