Events


Eustream applied for EC grant to co-finance Eastring feasibility study
8 November 2016, Bratislava, Brussel
Eustream submitted application for EC CEF grant with support from Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian TSOs

Eustream, with support from its Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian partners, submitted today application for European Commission’s grant from Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) fund to co-finance feasibility study of Eastring project. The feasibility study will define the technical details of the project including the possible routing options and will serve as basis for the final investment decision on the project.

Eastring pipeline will serve as an interconnection between Western European liquid hubs and the Balkan region (an area with a potential to be a highly liquid region offering new natural gas sources from Caspian region/eastern Mediterranean/Middle East region). Project will enhance the security of supply for the Balkan region as well as for whole Europe by creating a new corridor for new natural gas sources, and will help to improve competition by enabling diversification of routes and sources. The application for the feasibility study was submitted with support from TSOs from Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria (FGSZ Zrt., Transgaz S.A. and Bulgartransgaz EAD).


Balkan Gas Hub will coordinate with Eastring pipeline
4 November 2016, Sofia
Bulgartransgaz and Eustream have signed MoU to deepen cooperation in developing major gas infrastructure projects

Bulgaria and Slovakia will closely cooperate in developing two major gas infrastructure projects enhancing energy security in Central and South-eastern Europe. It is the result of Memorandum of Understanding on the development and realization of the Balkan Gas Hub project in coordination with the Eastring project signed today between Bulgarian and the Slovak gas transmission operators Bulgartransgaz EAD and Eustream.

The aim of Balkan Gas Hub is to provide European customers transparent and non-discriminatory access to a wide range of supply sources. In order to achieve this goal new gas hub needs to be connected with sufficient pipeline infrastructure. Both companies today agreed the Eastring pipeline will serve as a priority western route for the interconnection of the regional markets and the Balkan Gas Hub.

“We agreed that possible technical solutions with respect to the future development of the Balkan Gas Hub project will be analysed in close coordination with Eastring project. This is the clear evidence of our partnership in developing projects that are about to strengthen the security of gas supply in Central a South-eastern Europe,” Eustream’s CEO Rastislav Ňukovič.

Today’s MoU on project coordination follows the memorandum on Eastring signed in June between Bulgartransgaz and Eustream and a separate document signed in July on the intergovernmental level. Eastring will serve as an interconnection between Western European liquid hubs and the South-eastern Europe. It will enhance security of supply for the Balkan region as well as for Europe by creating a new corridor for new gas sources from various regions. Together with its partners form Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, Eustream is finalizing EC grant application for feasibility study that will be submit next week. Final investment decision on Eastring, its routing and parameters will be based on the feasibility study outcomes.


Peter Žiga Signed Memorandum on Eastring Pipeline with His Bulgarian Partner
13 July 2016, Bratislava
In the framework of the informal Council meeting of Energy Ministers held in Bratislava today, Peter Žiga, Minister of Economy, and Žečo Stankov, State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy of the Bulgarian Republic, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Eastring project. Both the Slovak and the Bulgarian sides consider it to be an important launch of the process of expressing support for the project which is expected to lead to its effective implementation.

The Slovak side considers Eastring to be one of the most important projects to achieve the EU objective in the field of diversification of transport routes and enhancement of energy security in Central and South-Eastern Europe. The Slovak Republic has deliberately and on a long-term basis pursued its effective preparation and construction.

“The Memorandum represents the actors´ expression of political support for the project at the highest level. By signing the declaration we have sent a positive political signal to enhance its position within the PCI project competition and presented a good argument for obtaining co-financing at the European level,“ said Minister Peter Žiga. “We will call upon other participating countries to express the same kind of support at the highest political level,” he added.

Eastring is a common project of a gas connection line between Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. It is a bidirectional gas pipeline with the planned capacity of 20–40 billion m3/year, in two possible alternatives: either as a new pipeline combined with maximum possible use of the existing transport infrastructures of Romania and Bulgaria, or by means of a completely new pipeline (long route from Malkoclar up to Veľké Kapušany).

The Slovak Republic has pursued the implementation of the Eastring project on a long-term basis mainly in connection with numerous benefits. The project would contribute to energy security and to the diversification of natural gas supplies to Europe. It would involve supplies of new gas from the Caspian region in the context of the Energy Union, provide a corridor for the transport of natural gas from South-Eastern Europe to Western Europe, and would largely contribute to the integration of gas markets. Compared to other projects, this project represents the most effective solution in terms of economy by enabling further use of the existing Romanian and Bulgarian transit infrastructure. It will be available to all prospective customers in full compliance with EU rules.


Eustream and Bulgartransgaz signed Memorandum of Understanding on Eastring
9 June 2016, Sofia
Slovak and Bulgarian natural gas transmission system operators Eustream and Bulgartransgaz signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Eastring pipeline project. Document signing ceremony in presence of Bulgarian Energy minister Temenuzhka Petkova and Slovak Economy minister Peter Žiga is important milestone for this gas link between Western and South-Eastern Europe.

In Memorandum of Understanding, parties declared their support to the project. Parties also agreed to cooperate on analyses and evaluation that will serve the subsequent decision making on the realization of the Eastring.

Eustream`s project Eastring has obtained the status Project of Common Interest (PCI) for the European Union. It can provide shippers with possibility to supply Balkan countries and Turkey from European hubs and will be ready for future gas imports to Europe from well-established and also alternative sources - the Caspian region and the Middle East. Eastring can secure natural gas supply for 100 percent of all Balkan countries` natural gas consumption.

On the upper picture (from left): Mirek Topolánek, Member of the Board of Directors, Eustream, Peter Žiga, Slovak Economy minister, Temenuzhka Petkova, Bulgarian Energy minister, and Georgi Gegov, Executive Director, Bulgartransgaz.


Eastring is Project of Common Interest
10 February 2016, Brussels
Project Eastring has obtained the status Project of Common Interest (PCI) for the European Union at the turn of the year.


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