Romania will Export Gas to Hungary Before End-of-Year

Romania will begin to export small amounts of natural gas to Hungary via the Arad-Szeged pipeline in December 2013. The pipeline was inaugurated in 2010 to bring gas to Romania, a connection supported by the European Commission through the European Program for Economic Recovery in the Energy Field (EEPR).

The Arad-Szeged pipeline was designed to carry, at maximum capacity, 4.4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas per year, the equivalent of a third of Romania’s yearly consumption. In order for the pipeline to reach the maximum capacity, €120 million in investments are needed, according to Mediafax.

According to a Transgaz management plan, Hungary and Romania have agreed to make the necessary investments to carry gas both ways through Arad-Szeged pipeline by 2016.

The plan mentions that this project ensures the opportunity to open an “essential” gas transport way from the Black Sea region to the Central and East European markets.

“Taking into account the regional importance of the project, as well as the high value of the investment, the project was introduced on the EU's mutual interest projects list that will be approved by the end of this year,” according to the document.

Romania is working to connect its national natural gas transport systems to Bulgaria, Moldova and Serbia.

Transgaz is controlled by the Public Finance Ministry. 

Gabriel Petrescu