Bulgaria’s Energy Search is the Future of Eastern European Natural Gas

Russia’s largest company, Gazprom, has decided to reroute its South Stream transportation pipeline through Turkey instead of Bulgaria. This event comes as no surprise considering the European Union’s negative response to the project, but still harms the countries who rely heavily on the conglomerate for their natural gas needs.

Bulgaria is pressed to find another source of natural gas other than Gazprom’s South Stream Transport line, which was planned to transverse the Black Sea and reenter the continent through the Balkan country.

Russia’s surprise decision may benefit Bulgaria in the long run. A diversification of  the country’s natural gas infrastructure would diminish its majority dependence on Russian natural gas. Free from Russia’s grip, Bulgaria would be free to proceed with the Aegean Baltic Corridor, a more attractive natural gas alternative. Romanian news source, Vocea Transilvaniei details exactly what the Corridor project entails.

First and foremost, the goal is to ensure that the four European neighbors - Hungary, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria - unite their natural gas pipelines so as to consolidate regional supply. The four countries are hoping to receive financing for the project from the European Commission. The monetary aid would significantly ease the process.

The connections promoted by the Aegean Baltic Corridor would diminish Russia’s role in European energy infrastructure and would strengthen a new European alliance. These nations have a common historical past and it is impossible for their futures to not be intertwined. The Corridor plan demands they present a united front. The project’s success would also ensure Western European recognition of the area’s potential as an up-and-coming natural gas hub. With the Aegean Baltic Corridor, Bulgaria and all of Eastern Europe are primed to become an indispensable natural gas network. Independence from petrostates, such as Russia, is indeed possible and better yet, beneficial.