Balkan Gas Hub ЕAD was established by “Bulgartransgaz” EAD in January 2019 to develop a gas distribution hub on the territory of Bulgaria.

Balkan Gas Hub ЕAD operates trading platforms servicing the needs of the natural gas markets within the Balkan gas hub. In synergy with the physical infrastructure of the gas distribution hub, it provides the prerequisites required for establishment of Bulgarian based, liquid trading gas hub in the South Eastern Europe region. It aims to build an interconnected and unified pan-European gas market and supports the plans for the development of gas infrastructure throughout Europe, in line with the needs identified by the Group for high support of gas connectivity of the Central and South Eastern Europe (CESEC). Balkan Gas Hub EAD is part of the Memorandum of Understanding for cross-border cooperation regarding the development of an integrated natural gas market in Southeast and Eastern Europe (SEEGAS).

Regarding its long-term development plans, Balkan Gas Hub EAD identifies and acts in pursuance of the following strategic objectives:

• Enhance the transparency and liquidity of the natural gas markets in the South-east European region;
• Create a reliable, stable and integrated regional gas market capable of meeting the needs of traders, customers and users in the long and short term;
• Enhance energy security and create additional opportunities for diversification of the sources of natural gas supply.

To implement these key strategic objectives, priority is given to ensuring further interconnection and sustainable regional cooperation between South-east European markets, which creates conditions for ensuring security of supply, enhance liberalisation and increase the liquidity of the national gas markets.

In this regard, the following operational objectives have been developed in the long and short term:

• Provide an environment ensuring competitive prices for users and traders;
• Provide conditions for trading with standardised products with minimised risks for the parties involved;
• Ensure transactions transparency and non-discriminatory access to the electronic platform for all market participants.