Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline construction to start in 2010
Fri, 22 May 2009
THE long-awaited construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline will start in 2010, the Greek development minister said after a meeting with the president of Russia’s state pipeline operator, Transneft. “Being guided by today’s data, we estimate that the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis project can start in 2010,” Kostis Khatzidhakis told journalists. He assured Transneft’s Nikolai Tokarev that the Greek government would submit a draft law to parliament by June of this year that would expedite construction of the pipeline.
"The oil pipeline will be defined as a project of national significance to resolve secondary problems we could face as well as bureaucratic difficulties. We want to move as fast as possible. I believe this is the wish of both the Russian and Bulgarian sides," Mr Khatzidhakis added.
Russia, Bulgaria and Greece signed a memorandum on the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline in April, 2005. Once completed, the pipeline will initially transport up to 35m tons/yr, with a planned final capacity of increased to 50m t/yr.
According to the inter-governmental agreement signed in 2007, Russia holds 51% in the project company, while Greece and Bulgaria hold 24.5% each. Mr Tokarev said the project is not aimed against third countries but will raise the reliability of supplying Europe with energy.