Moldova’s National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) has introduced two new routes through its gas transmission system (GTS) for gas transit from Greece to Ukraine, the regulator said.
“These products (supply services) are designed to facilitate natural gas flows from Greece to Ukraine through the Trans-Balkan infrastructure, contributing to the strengthening of regional energy security, diversify supply sources, and make efficient use of transport capacity, in accordance with the request of Vestmoldtransgaz LLC (Moldova’s GTS operator) and a joint initiative by the natural gas transmission system operators of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine,” the ANRE said in a statement.
The regulator specified that this refers to “two new special capacity products – Route 2 and Route 3, which will be available from December 2025 to April 2026.”
The new services will be offered monthly through parallel auctions on the RBP platform using a single price algorithm, with discounts applied to the tariffs of transit country operators. “The introduction of these products will increase gas transit volumes through Moldova’s transmission system and indirectly create the conditions for optimizing natural gas transportation tariffs in the future,” the statement said.
The regulator recalled that in May this year, a monthly service product called “Route 1” was introduced, designed for use at interconnection points on the Trans-Balkan pipeline connecting the natural gas transportation systems of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine.
As reported, in May this year, gas transmission system operators in Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine developed a scheme for the supply of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Greece to Ukraine via the “Vertical Gas Corridor,” agreeing on a single tariff for gas transit with a 25% discount. The aim of the project is to ensure gas injection into Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities in preparation for the heating season.
In July, Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Jungiatu reported that the Moldovan state-owned company Energocom had successfully tested the delivery of LNG from the US via the Vertical Gas Corridor, pumping regasified fuel from a port in Greece to Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities.
In early November, pipeline company ICGB, the independent operator of the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector (IGB), together with the gas transmission system operators of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, signed an agreement to launch two new routes for the delivery of natural gas from Greece to Ukraine. The gas transmission system operators of these countries proposed to make these routes available from December 2025 to April 2026.
According to ICGB, route 2 starts at the Amphitrite interconnection point on the DESFA network, passes through the Greek-Bulgarian interconnector (IGB) and then along the Trans-Balkan corridor: Amphitrite – Komotini (IGB) – Stara Zagora – Negru Voda 1/Kardam – Isaccea 1/Orlovca – Câșcavii – Grebeni.
Route 3 starts at the IGB interconnection point with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and follows the same route: Komotini (IGB entry from TAP) – Stara Zagora – Negru Voda 1/Cardam – Isaccea 1/Orlovca – Câșcav – Grebeni.
The design capacity of the “Vertical Gas Corridor” in the Greece-Bulgaria direction is 3 billion cubic meters per year. The gas pipeline operator does not rule out increasing its capacity to 5 billion cubic meters, depending on market interest.
