President: Bulgaria partially resolves gas supply issues with Azerbaijan's help

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has said that Bulgaria partially addressed its gas supply issues through increased deliveries from Azerbaijan. 

President Radev made these remarks in an interview with Bulgarian media, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

"While Bulgaria has found a partial solution to its gas import problems by boosting supplies from Azerbaijan, Russian gas continues flowing to us through swap deals or intermediaries," Radev said.

He also noted that Bulgaria does not import liquefied natural gas (LNG). 

In 2024, natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria reached 2 billion cubic metres (bcm), up from 1.25 bcm in 2023. However, Bulgaria’s annual gas consumption exceeds 3 bcm.

Azerbaijan has been a significant supplier of natural gas to Bulgaria in recent years. Deliveries commenced on December 31, 2020, following a contract between Bulgargaz and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) to supply 1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually for 25 years.

The Southern Gas Corridor, including the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB) operational since October 1, 2022, plays a crucial role in these deliveries. The IGB has a capacity of 3 bcm per year, with potential expansion to 5 bcm.

By Naila Huseynova