The Ministry of Environment and Waters of Bulgaria has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the offshore section of the South Stream gas pipeline project. Following the positive decision of the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water, South Stream Transport is seeking to complete the next stages of permitting to receive all the required construction permits in time to start construction in the middle of 2014.
South Stream Transport is the joint venture of Gazprom (50%), Eni (20%), EDF and Wintershall (15% each) in charge of the planning, construction, and subsequent operation of the offshore pipeline through the Black Sea. The 931 km offshore pipeline will originate in Anapa on the Russian Black Sea Coast, run through the Turkish Exclusive Zone of the Black Sea and land on the Bulgarian coastline, near Varna. Commercial operations of the first line are scheduled to start by the end of 2015. At full capacity the four pipeline strings will deliver 63 bcm/year of gas.
Source: South Stream