Russian gas supplies to Hungary resume via the Turkish Stream

Delivery of natural gas to Hungary resumed on the Turkish Stream pipeline on Monday evening after scheduled maintenance works, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said after talks with energy experts in Budapest on Tuesday.

The pipeline delivers natural gas to Hungary from Russia via Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia, he said. The pipeline will ensure that Hungary receives the full amount of gas to be supplied under the long-term agreement it concluded with Russia last September, he said.

Noting reduced Russian gas deliveries to western Europe due to “maintenance difficulties on Nord Stream 1”, Szijjártó said Hungary was currently receiving about half the usual amount of gas via Austria. The missing 1.3 million cubic meters of gas daily can be easily procured from the market, he said.

“Hungarian supply security is not at any sort of risk,” he said.

Hungary is also ahead in filling up its gas storages, with reserves already on stock up at 23 percent of annual demand, as against 15 percent on average in European Union member states, he said.

Crude deliveries are also stable and secure through the Friendship pipeline, he said.

Meanwhile, the government is working “full steam” to prepare the upgrade of the Paks nuclear power plant, he said. Szijjártó said he is scheduled to meet Russian energy giant Rosatom’s CEO in Istanbul on Friday, to review the situation. “The aim is to have the new blocks up and running by 2030,” he said.

“While Europe is facing serious energy security challenges, energy supply to Hungary is stable and safe,” the foreign minister said.

Read alsoHungary made the right decision to sign gas supply agreement with Moscow, says minister