In 2020, 24% of Natural Gas Deliveries to Bulgaria Come from Alternative Sources
A draft of the Ten-Year Network Development Plan of Bulgartransgaz EAD states that in 2019 over 18 per cent of natural gas supplies to Bulgaria were from alternative sources, while in 2020 their share in total consumption was nearly 24 per cent.
In 2019, the total amount of natural gas imported into Bulgaria was 30,390 GWh, and in 2020 - 31,011 GWh. The main source of natural gas was Russia, but in 2020 there was a decrease of 5.5 per cent in imports from there compared to 2019. On the other hand, other sources of natural gas have increased, according to the report of the gas operator. In 2019, the Russian Federation exported 24,802 GWh of natural gas to Bulgaria - 81.6 per cent of the total, and in 2020 these numbers were 23,602 GWh of natural gas and 76.1 per cent.
At the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, the transmission capacities from Romania to Bulgaria and from Greece to Bulgaria were increased. As a result of the cooperation between Bulgartransgaz and DESFA from April 1, 2019 the capacity of IP Kulata / Sidirokastro for transmission in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria has been increased to 46.5 GWh/d, and from April 1, 2020 - to 64.8 GWh/d. This has allowed Bulgaria to import significant quantities of natural gas from alternative sources in 2019 and 2020, including liquefied natural gas from the United States through the terminal in Revithoussa, Greece.