Europe ready to supply natural gas to Ukraine's south via Trans-Balkan pipeline

European gas transmission system (GTS) operators have confirmed their readiness to supply natural gas to the south of Ukraine's Odesa region through the Trans-Balkan pipeline in case gas supplies through the territory of Transnistria are blocked. "The Trans-Balkan gas pipeline should be able to transport 4.1 million cubic meters per day (1.3 billion cubic meters per year) to the border with Ukraine. All operators confirmed their readiness," Director of the Ukrainian GTS Operator Serhiy Makogon said on Facebook on October 8, summing up a CESEC gas plenary meeting in Brussels.

"It is very important to Ukraine and Moldova, as it will let guarantee delivery to the south of Odesa region in case of blocking gas supplies through the territory of Transnistria," he said. According to Makogon, Ukraine will be able to receive Caspian gas along this route in future, when such supplies will be feasible from the economic point of view. "Slowly but surely, the regional market is becoming more open and competitive. Gazprom's monopoly has been significantly reduced," he said. In his opinion, Europe drew conclusions from the situation in 2009, when Russia's Gazprom stopped transit shipments, therefore, Europe's GTS operators are actively developing alternative routes. As UNIAN reported earlier, state-owned Ukrtransgaz, which is the operator of Ukraine's gas transmission system, and Moldovagaz, together with gas transmission system operators from other countries, agreed technical solutions to create new gas import facilities based on the Trans-Balkan pipeline in the south-north direction by reverse through the TRANSIT 1 pipeline.