The Tuzla – Podișor gas pipeline, the over 300 km long pipeline that will take gas from the Black Sea, is over 99% complete and will be officially received in the next 60 days, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja announced.

“Romania is establishing itself as a strategic node of the new regional energy map: we are investing heavily in the infrastructure that ensures our energy security and safety, we are putting into operation key projects that connect the Black Sea area to Western markets and we are involved in all major regional initiatives, from the Southern Corridor to BRUA. The Tuzla – Podișor gas pipeline, the over 300 km main that will take over the gas from the Black Sea, is over 99% ready and will be officially received in the next 60 days. The investment of over 500 million euros will be completed ahead of schedule and complies with the highest technical and environmental standards”, the minister wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, the completion of the gas pipeline will mean access to gas for about 185,000 Romanians and 523 public institutions in the localities crossed by the pipeline.

“We defended this project against all obstacles: recently, the Cluj Court of Appeal definitively rejected Bankwatch’s request to suspend the works, confirming the legality and necessity of this project. Romania’s energy security is non-negotiable”, Burduja also stated, according to Agerpres.

The project offers the possibility that, in the next two years, the pipeline will transport LNG gas from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Greece to Europe, strengthening European energy security. It also ensures the necessary infrastructure to take over the gas extracted through the Neptun Deep project, which will transform Romania into the largest gas producer in the European Union, claims the relevant minister.