BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec.1
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The gas pipeline project BRUA (Bulgaria - Romania - Hungary – Austria) has marked the completion of phase 1, Trend reports citing Romanian TRANSGAZ company.
It means completion of the 479 km long pipeline and of the 3 compressor stations.
TRANSGAZ started the works to the 3 compressor stations related to the project on 14 April 2018. Subsequently, the compressor stations were put into operation in September 2019 (CS Jupa), October 2019 (CS Podișor) and August 2020 (CS Bibești). The works for the construction of the gas pipeline started on 4 June 2018 and were completed on 22 November 2020.
Ludovic Orban, Prime Minister of Romania, said that BRUA is known to play the role of diversifying the European Union's natural gas supply sources, especially by the connection to the TAP pipeline bringing gas from Azerbaijan.
“Furthermore, there are several possible connections which can facilitate this diversification of natural gas supply sources Romania needs so much. Additionally, BRUA gas pipeline is extremely important, along with other investments to be made for the optimal use of the natural gas fields belonging to Romania. It is a big investment. Initially, the investment was estimated at almost Euro 480 million. One could see what it meant to have procurement procedures carried out correctly and a strict control, a very good management of this project, its final cost, i.e. Euro 423 million which is about 11% lower than the initial cost proved it,” said Orban.
Four and a half years after the inauguration of construction works in Thessaloniki, Southern Gas Corridor’s European leg, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), an 878-km gas transportation system crossing Greece, Albania, the Adriatic Sea and Italy, began commercial operations.
Gas supplies via the Southern Gas Corridor will begin in coming months, Ibrahim Ahmadov, deputy head of the Public Relations and Event Management Department at Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR, told Trend.
“After the completion of construction, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) was connected to the network of Italian Snam company. Thereby, the pipeline running from Azerbaijan to Europe has been connected to the European network and is fully ready for gas supplies. It means that the Southern Gas Corridor has been completed. Direct gas transportation from the Caspian basin to Europe via this system will start in coming months,” he said.
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