site.btaBulgargaz Will Bid in October Tender for 2023 Regassification Slots

Bulgargaz will bid in an October tender for regasification slots for 2023, the company's CEO, Deniza Slateva, said on Bulgarian National TV's morning talk show on Wednesday.

Not having access to slots for LNG regasification is a problem for this country as it is trying to find alternatives to Russian gas on which it was almost fully dependent until recently.

Also, the government is going to make a decision that will allow an increase of the capacity Bulgaria will use at the Alexandroupolis terminal from 500 million cu m to 1 billion cu m in 2024, which means being able to secure at least 10 shiploads of LNG, said the Bulgargaz CEO. 

She added that tenders are being prepared for LNG and piped gas on the Balkan gas hub. "The price we achieve at such tenders is very good," said Slateva. 

She also said that the Sofia heating utility owes Bulgargaz more than BGN 339 million and that the gas supplier has no financial resources during the heating season to make up for the debts of the heating utilities. It has until September 20 to pay over BGN 1 billion to three suppliers for August and September, plus more for an LNG tanker in October. 

She suggested that the Sofia heating utility borrow from the State to pay up its debt to the gas supplier. 

It also transpired in the interview that Bulgaria continues to claim gas supplies from Gazprom on a daily basis.

Slateva is not aware of any progress in the efforts to bring Gazprom to the negotiating table to discuss gas supplies.

Gazprom cut off supplies to Bulgaria in April when this country refused to make payments in rubles. The government of Kiril Petkov was determined to walk away from Gazprom and fully diversify supplies but the caretaker government that succeeded it is seeking to discuss with the Russian gas supplier ways to resume deliveries.

Slateva is not aware of any progress in this department.