MOSCOW
Bulgaria wants to build a storage facility for the natural gas from the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline project, said Alexander Novak, Russian energy minister.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the cancellation of the South Stream gas pipeline project on Dec. 1, 2014. Instead, he proposed a new natural gas pipeline route through Turkey's northwestern Thrace region to reach Greece. This route is commonly referred to as the Turkish Stream.
"Bulgaria has renewed desire to build a natural gas storage facility," Novak said Friday, adding that the facility it would be located on Bulgarian soil and not on the border between Turkey and Bulgaria.
Novak addressed the media during the International Economic Forum (SPIEF) held in the Russian city of St. Petersburg and spoke of his meeting with Temenuzhka Petkova, the Bulgarian energy minister.
The same proposal was made six months ago, he indicated without providing further information regarding Russia's position on the project.
The Turkish Stream is expected to have a capacity of carrying 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. It will deliver 47 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe, while the remaining amount will be allocated for Turkey's domestic use. The agreement for the Turkish Stream gas pipelines construction may be signed by the end of June, Novak had said on June 18.
