According to the results of an auction held on the RBP platform for August 2025, 20% of the available capacity of the Trans-Balkan gas corridor has been booked, Azernews informs, citing Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy reports.
The ministry emphasized that, thanks to its efforts, the Trans-Balkan route — running through Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova — has opened up a new channel for natural gas imports into Ukraine. A new joint capacity booking product, launched in cooperation with Ukraine’s Gas Transmission System Operator, has reduced gas transmission costs along the corridor by 25%. This cost reduction supports greater supply diversification and more efficient use of Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities.
Ukraine’s Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk stated that the Trans-Balkan corridor expands Ukraine’s access to southern supply routes and enables the purchase of gas from new exporting countries. “In addition, this route offers attractive opportunities for European traders to utilize Ukraine’s underground gas storage,” she added.
According to the ministry, access to capacity bookings along the Trans-Balkan corridor has been available since June 2025. Since then, growing interest from market participants has been observed.
Guaranteed daily capacity has been set at 7 million cubic meters until the end of 2024, with work ongoing to increase this to 11.5 million cubic meters per day in 2025.
In a major milestone, Ukraine has begun importing Azerbaijani natural gas through the Trans-Balkan route for the first time. Naftogaz Group signed its first agreement for the purchase of Azerbaijani gas with SOCAR Energy Ukraine, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR.
The gas is being delivered via the Bulgaria–Romania–Ukraine corridor in a test mode.
“Although the volumes are currently small, this is a strategically significant step that paves the way for long-term cooperation,” said Naftogaz CEO Serhiy Koretskyi. “It is another example of Ukraine's commitment to diversifying supply sources and strengthening its energy security.”
SOCAR Energy Ukraine confirmed that a trial supply agreement was signed with Naftogaz on July 24, 2025.
“The gas will be transported to Ukraine from Bulgaria. For the first time in history, gas of Azerbaijani origin will be delivered to Ukraine,” the company noted.
