Sofia, capital of Bulgaria
Bulgaria caught between east and west
Russian interference and domestic political instability threaten the country’s dream of becoming a regional energy hub
Bulgaria is set to start receiving Azeri gas and US LNG via a long-anticipated link to Greece that is expected to become operational on 1 October. But the poorest EU member state—and one of Russia’s closest former satellites—is also headed into a bitterly contested election and faces an uncertain energy situation over the winter. The challenging position Bulgaria finds itself in is largely due to domestic dysfunction, analysts say, although the crisis is exacerbated by Russia’s decision in April to cut off gas supplies after the country’s former pro-Western coalition government, which collapsed in June, refused to pay in roubles. At the beginning of the year, Bulgaria was importing about 90p
Also in this section
24 February 2025
Weighed down by higher costs and lower margins, the US downstream sector is facing closures that could shrink capacity
21 February 2025
While large-scale planned LNG schemes in sub-Saharan Africa have faced fresh problems, FLNG projects are stepping into that space
20 February 2025
Greater social mobility means increased global demand for refined fuels and petrochemical products, with Asia leading the way in the expansion of refining capacity
19 February 2025
The EU would do well to ease its gas storage requirements to avoid heavy purchase costs this summer, with the targets having created market distortion while giving sellers a significant advantage over buyers
