Bulgaria manages energy shifts through gas price hikes and new LNG routes

Bulgaria is undergoing significant shifts in its energy landscape, marked by changes in gas pricing, supply routes, and contractual agreements. Bulgargaz has proposed a 5.5% increase in natural gas prices for September, requesting a rate of 41.60 EUR/MWh. This proposal, driven by a decreasing share of low-cost Azerbaijani gas and requests from heating companies to maintain supply volumes, is awaiting a final decision from the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission on August 31.

Regarding regional infrastructure, Bulgargaz is offering regional partners comprehensive LNG solutions, including regasification, storage, and cross-border transmission. Simultaneously, the energy trader D. TRADING has expanded an LNG route that utilizes Bulgarian infrastructure to connect the Gulf of Mexico to Ukrainian gas storage facilities, leveraging the capacity of the Greek Revoutsa terminal and Romanian Transgaz.

On the diplomatic and contractual front, Bulgaria has frozen its gas agreement with the Turkish state company BOTAŞ for 15 months. This move is viewed as an attempt to renegotiate more favorable terms regarding price and capacity rather than an abandonment of the Turkish route. Meanwhile, National Statistical Institute data for June 2026 shows a 34.1% monthly drop in natural gas deliveries in Bulgaria, despite a rise in domestic production levels.