DESFA: new expansion phase for the vertical gas corridor

Representatives of DESFA and Gastrade from Greece, ICGB (Greece–Bulgaria), Bulgartransgaz (Bulgaria), Transgaz (Romania), Vestmoldtransgaz (Moldova), FGSZ (Hungary), EUSTREAM (Slovakia), and GTSOU (Ukraine) participated in the meeting, while NOMAGAS of North Macedonia and Transportgas Srbija of Serbia took part for the first time. The companies were represented by their chief executive officers and senior management executives.

The discussions focused on the expansion of the Vertical Gas Corridor, with key issues including available transmission capacity at interconnection points, progress on infrastructure projects currently under development, and their implementation timelines.

Participants agreed to establish a joint technical and commercial working group that will assess the interconnection capacity of national natural gas transmission systems, long-term market prospects, and measures aimed at enhancing the corridor’s commercial attractiveness, including revisions to tariff policies and additional infrastructure requirements.

At the same time, procedures were launched for the expansion of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the aim of formally incorporating Serbia and North Macedonia into the initiative, paving the way for the next phase of the project’s development.

The expansion of the initiative marks the transformation of the Vertical Gas Corridor from a cross-border infrastructure project into a broader regional platform for energy cooperation. Its objectives include strengthening security of supply, diversifying natural gas sources and routes, enhancing the resilience of energy infrastructure, and further integrating gas markets across Southeastern and Central Europe, with the initiative now extending to the Western Balkans.

The meeting was also attended by Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, and Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy, Iva Petrova. Following their participation in the Economist roundtable, the two ministers expressed their political support for the preparation of a joint proposal to the European Commission for the inclusion of priority investments aimed at further strengthening regional energy security.

The transmission system operators reaffirmed their commitment to close technical and operational coordination in order to advance the expansion of the Vertical Gas Corridor without delays, reinforcing its role as a reliable and competitive energy route for Southeastern and Central Europe.