Bulgaria and Türkiye join forces to power Europe without Russian gas
By Tural Heybatov
Bulgaria has stepped up its efforts to enhance energy security for itself and neighboring countries in the region.
Some time ago, Bulgaria announced the launch of the Vertical Gas Corridor project. Under this initiative, liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasified at Greek ports will be delivered to European countries, including Ukraine. Greece is home to the Revithoussa LNG terminal, which has an annual capacity of 7.5 billion cubic meters. LNG has been supplied to Bulgaria through this terminal since 2019. According to Bulgarian officials, this project is intended to serve as an alternative to Russian gas supplies to European markets.
In late March, Bloomberg reported that Bulgarian Energy Minister Zhivko Stankov unveiled plans to commence construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor in the coming weeks. The project will allow European countries such as Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova to replace Russian gas supplies. The system is expected to transport up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Greek ports, including to Ukraine. Bulgaria has invested nearly $350 million to develop its segment of the project. Simultaneously, Sofia is negotiating long-term LNG supply contracts to fill the corridor. The Bulgarian section is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
According to Bloomberg, Stankov noted that negotiations are ongoing with Hungary, Moldova, and Ukraine for joint LNG procurement tenders. One of the top priorities is securing long-term contracts to ensure stable supply and fixed prices.
The Vertical Gas Corridor project was officially announced in the summer of last year, though initial discussions date back to 2016. It was originally proposed by Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Austria. With the recent inclusion of Moldova and Ukraine, the new corridor will mirror the route of the existing Trans-Balkan pipeline, which runs from Ukraine to Greece. Now, the gas will flow in reverse—from Türkiye to Ukraine—unlike in the past. Portions of the Trans-Balkan system are already being used to transport gas from the TurkStream pipeline.
Bloomberg also reports that Bulgaria and Türkiye are in talks to increase gas transit capacity. Russia is anticipating that this may lead to a rise in its gas exports. The expansion of pipeline infrastructure at the Bulgaria-Türkiye border will allow for increased gas deliveries from Azerbaijan and Central Asia.
Currently, the only operational gas transit route for Russian supplies to Europe runs through Bulgaria as an extension of TurkStream. Negotiations between Sofia and Ankara are expected to continue until May 2. Türkiye has reportedly expressed support for the project. Previously, Ankara announced its readiness to expand methane transport to the EU. Experts link Türkiye’s enthusiasm to the expiration of several long-term contracts with Gazprom in 2025.
Russian analysts point out that Bulgaria could have become a gas hub in Southeastern Europe even without Türkiye’s involvement if it had not abandoned the South Stream project. Around 16 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year can be routed through Bulgaria via TurkStream. Additionally, Azerbaijani gas and LNG from Turkish terminals are also delivered to Bulgaria.
However, experts believe that Bulgaria remains the weak link in the European gas transmission system. According to the Drilling & Oil website, in early June last year, Bulgaria announced the start of construction on two interconnectors as part of the Vertical Gas Corridor: the Kulata-Kresna looping to increase capacity on the Kulata-Sidirokastro interconnector with Greece, and the Rupcha-Vetrino looping to boost flows to Romania via the Negru Vodă–Kardam interconnector.
A "looping" refers to a pipeline section laid parallel to the main pipeline to increase its throughput capacity.
The Russian site notes that participants in the Vertical Gas Corridor expect the project to enable LNG imports from the United States, Egypt, Azerbaijan, and possibly other Caspian countries.
Regarding Azerbaijan, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor, currently has a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters per year. By 2027, this is expected to increase to 20 billion cubic meters annually. In 2022, the Greece–Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB) was completed. This pipeline directly links the national gas transmission systems of Greece and Bulgaria, connecting Komotini in northeastern Greece with Stara Zagora in southern Bulgaria. The total length is 182.6 km, with an initial capacity of 3 billion cubic meters per year, expandable to 5 billion cubic meters.
As for Türkiye’s ambitious plans to become a continental gas hub, in August last year, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar told journalists in Baku that Ankara plans to export gas received from more than 30 countries under a unified brand, Turkish Blend. According to him, becoming an energy hub requires a diverse supply of energy resources and a large number of suppliers: “Gas from one country must compete with another.” He also noted ongoing work to expand the capacity of two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs). “The pipeline from Bulgaria will allow gas to be supplied further to Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The only barrier along this route is the limited capacity of the pipeline in Bulgaria, which currently stands at 3.5 billion cubic meters,” Bayraktar stated, adding that efforts are underway to double the transit capacity through Bulgaria. There is no need for a new pipeline, he emphasized—only investments in expanding existing infrastructure are necessary.
The development of the Vertical Gas Corridor and Türkiye’s ambition to become a continental energy hub reflect the broader transformation of Europe’s energy architecture. As the continent seeks to diversify supply sources, reduce dependency on Russian gas, and strengthen regional interconnectivity, projects like this underscore the growing importance of Southeastern Europe in the energy security equation. Strategic cooperation between countries such as Bulgaria, Türkiye, Greece, and Azerbaijan is no longer just a regional initiative—it is becoming a key element of Europe’s long-term energy resilience.
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