“The investment in “Balkan Stream” was well-founded and would allow our country to take a key role in the natural gas distribution in the region and throughout Europe for years to come”, commented Prime Minister Boyko Borisov during his inspection of the construction of “Balkan Stream”.
Borisov inspected the progress of the pipeline construction in the region of compression station “Rasovo”. According to him “Rasovo” along with compression station “Nova Provadya” would increase the overall capacity of “Balkan Stream” to over 20 billion cubic meters
The Prime Minister explained that “Balkan Stream” would diversify natural gas along the entire route of the pipeline – not just in Bulgaria, but in Serbia, Hungary and Austria as well. He also added that the compressors are among the best on the market and would allow for different types of natural gas to flow through the Bulgarian pipelines.
The capacity expansion of the gas storage in Chirpan has also started, announced Borisov, whereas Chief engineer of the project – Darina Koleva, made a briefing the progress made.
“It all goes well. The weather is also with us and we are moving on as planned”, commented some of the construction workers on the site.
The project “Balkan Stream” is part of the concept for a natural gas hub called “Balkan” which would enable Bulgaria to take the role of a leading commercial distribution center in the region and in the European Union as well.
To this date a total of 19,947 pipes have been laid down with a total length of 239,36 km. At port Burgas there are 6,250 more pipes awaiting to be laid down which equals to 75 km. Construction preparations have already started in Veliko Turnovo, Pleven, Lovech, and Vratsa. The total cleaned humus from the gas pipeline easement is 162.6 km, the pipes delivered on the construction sites have a total length of 139.05 km., 113,45 km of which have already been welded.
For the overall expansion of the gas transmission pipeline infrastructure of “Bulgartransgaz” EAD, which stretches from the Bulgaria-Turkey border to the Bulgaria-Serbia border, two compression stations will be constructed – CS “Rasovo” and CS “Nova Provadya”. They will provide the needed high pressure for the entire pipeline.
The three compressors in CS “Rasovo” and the four compressors in CS “Nova Provadya” will be latest generation, made by the US manufacture Solar Turbines. The aggregates will be equipped with low-emission fuel chambers in accordance with all ecological and emission standards.
