May 31 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria will start taking delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States for the first time on June 1, energy minister Temenuzhka Petkova said on Friday.
The country has signed deals for the purchase of a cargo of 90 million cubic metres of LNG in the second quarter and a second cargo of 50 mcm in the third quarter, Petkova said during a news conference, according to a press release issued by the ministry.
The deliveries will be made at competitive prices and mark a step forward in Bulgaria's efforts to diversify its gas sources and supply routes, Petkova said.
Currently, Bulgaria imports almost all the natural gas it needs from Russia through a pipeline crossing the territories of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania.
The tanker carrying the first shipment will arrive late on Friday at the Revithoussa LNG terminal in Greece.
Dutch-registered company Kolmar, which will make the deliveries, has also expressed interest in signing a five-year gas delivery deal for 500 mcm, to be traded on the platform which Bulgaria is currently developing.