Ukraine to receive gas via new Trans-Balkan route as first auction begins
The gas transmission system operators (TSOs) of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine have officially launched a joint initiative to supply natural gas from Greece to Ukraine through the Trans-Balkan Corridor. The announcement was published on the website of Ukraine’s Gas Transmission System Operator (GTSOU).
The supply route begins at the Revithoussa LNG terminal in Greece, located on the island of the same name, west of Athens. Built in 1999 and operated by DESFA, the terminal has an annual regasification capacity of 6.9 billion cubic meters.
The transit route to Ukraine will offer a capacity of approximately 1 billion cubic meters per year. Operations will run from June to October 2025, using five interconnection points: Kulata/Sidirokastron, Negru Vodă 1/Kardam, Isaccea 1/Orlovka, Căușeni, and Hrebenyky.
A key feature of this product is that the transported gas is strictly dedicated to Ukrainian deliveries, with no access to virtual interconnection points in transit countries. This limitation has enabled a tariff reduction of 25% compared to standard rates—and 46% for delivery to Ukrainian exit points.
The first capacity auction, covering June 2025, is scheduled to take place on May 29 via the Regional Booking Platform (RBP), offering 31.36 million kWh per day.
Due to the limited time remaining before the initial auction, TSOs are considering an additional auction later this month if a significant portion of the available capacity remains unbooked.
Going forward, capacity auctions will be held on the fourth Monday of each month under a uniform pricing model.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to diversify natural gas supply routes and enhance Ukraine’s energy security.
"Access to additional import capacity is a crucial element of supply security," said Vladyslav Medvediev, Acting CEO of GTSOU, highlighting the constraints on available capacity through Central European routes.
The Trans-Balkan Gas Pipeline historically transported Russian gas to the Balkans. In 2019, parts of this infrastructure in Turkey and Bulgaria were integrated into the Balkan Stream pipeline system.
In 2023, a joint market demand assessment by the TSOs of Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova identified a need for up to 20 million cubic meters per day to be transported via the Trans-Balkan route to Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities.