August 3 (SeeNews) - The newly-built 20-kilometre looping at Bulgaria's transit gas pipeline to Turkey was inaugurated on Friday, the Bulgarian energy ministry said.
The looping, or extension, between compressor station Lozenets to Nedyalsko, in southeastern Bulgaria, will enable the transport of additional volumes of natural gas and is a technical prerequisite for deliveries of gas in both directions, Bulgaria's energy minister Temenuzhka Petkova said during the inauguration ceremony, according to a press release issued by the ministry.
The capacity of Bulgaria’s transit gas pipeline to Turkey has been increased to 15.7 billion cubic metres per year from 14 billion cubic metres thanks the looping facility, which also makes it possible to transport natural gas in reverse flow from Turkey to Bulgaria.
Compressor station Lozenets has nine gas turbine compressor units. Bulgaria completed the upgrade of two of the units and has launched a tender for the upgrade of another two, the ministry said. The project aims to guarantee the capacity of Bulgaria to transport natural gas towards Turkey, Greece and Macedonia.