Glavbolgarstroy is implementing two of the three key segments of the strategic international project on Bulgarian territory

A new shipment of pipes for the construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor arrived in Bulgaria today. The vessel carrying the vital materials from India was received by the Minister of Energy, Zhecho Stankov, at the BMF Port Burgas. Over the next 30 days, the pipes will be transported to six temporary construction bases situated along Lot 3 – the Rupcha–Vetrino loop.

Two of the three key loops on Bulgarian territory are being executed by companies within the Glavbolgarstroy Group, with GBS Energy Solutions acting as the lead partner.

"This delivery includes 2,526 pipes and 110 hot-bent elbows intended for the construction of the Rupcha–Vetrino loop — a key element in increasing the natural gas transmission capacity from Bulgaria to Romania. Construction of this section is expected to commence by early September," announced Minister Stankov during his visit to Burgas.

He added that the operational lifespan of the pipes is approximately 60 years.

"Nearly half of the 61-kilometer route, with a diameter of 1,200 mm, runs parallel to the Aytos Pass and includes over 25 km of technically challenging mountainous terrain in the Balkan Mountains region. The project crosses complex infrastructure, including road and railway facilities, as well as more than 25 steep ravines," noted Eng. Iliya Karabadzhakov, CEO of GBS Energy Solutions.

He emphasized that one of the most complex drillings will be carried out beneath the Hemus Motorway, requiring exceptionally precise engineering solutions and coordination of advanced trenchless technologies.

"The construction of the Rupcha–Vetrino loop includes three trenchless crossings beneath the Golyama Kamchiya, Provadiyska, and Glavnitsa rivers. These will be executed using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) — the same method applied for Lot 1 - Kulata–Kresna using the high-tech American Augers DD600 machine, the only one of its class in the Balkans," added Eng. Karabadhakov.

More than 450 personnel will be engaged in the construction of Lot 3, dynamically relocated based on workload across different sections, according to Glavbolgarstroy representatives.

Just over a month after the official inspection of progress on Lot 1 - Kulata–Kresna, construction of the loop is visibly advancing. Currently, HDD works are underway beneath the Struma Motorway, along with preparations for the first directional drilling under the Struma River.

To date, over 26 km of trenching for pipe laying has been completed, with more than 2,200 welded joints, totaling 26.4 km of connected pipeline. The prepared right-of-way covers over 42 km out of the planned 48 km, and distributed pipes now exceed 36 km.

The final shipment of pipes is expected to arrive in early August, completing all material deliveries required for the construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor on Bulgarian territory. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

"Our goal is for the pipeline to be operational by the end of next year," stated the Minister of Energy.