Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SOFIA10
2009-01-09 13:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Sofia
Cable title:
BULGARIA GAS CRISIS DAY 4: SITUATION IMPROVING
how-toVZCZCXRO3233 OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHSF #0010 0091309 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 091309Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5684 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SOFIA 000010
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG ECON PREL PGOV BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA GAS CRISIS DAY 4: SITUATION IMPROVING
REF: SOFIA 0005 AND PREVIOUS
UNCLAS SOFIA 000010
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG ECON PREL PGOV BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA GAS CRISIS DAY 4: SITUATION IMPROVING
REF: SOFIA 0005 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) Despite severe cold and snow, the situation
improved on day four of a complete gas cut-off. As more
district heating plants successfully switched from gas to
other forms of fuel, heat to many apartments around the
country was resumed. Nationwide, sixty-eight schools remain
closed and five hospitals are without heat while they switch
to alternate fuel. The situation continues to take a toll on
industry. Over 70 plants have stopped work completely due to
lack of gas and about 150 are working with limited capacity.
The Ministry of Economy and Energy estimates direct losses to
industry at 8.3 BGN (USD 5.8 million) a day with significant
additional collateral losses such as the inability to fulfill
contracts and service loans. Despite one small protest and a
slew of harshly-worded editorials about government
mis-management, the population remained calm.
2. (SBU) The Foreign and Energy Ministers will brief an
emergency session of the Parliament's Energy Committee on the
situation as well as on diversification efforts on January 9.
Economy and Energy Minister Dimitrov announced January 8
that he and his Greek counterpart had set up a joint working
group for the possible construction of an LNG terminal in the
Aegean. He also repeated his hope to use EU stimulus package
funds to build a linkage to the Greek gas transmission grid
through a hook-up to the Turkey-Greece-Italy interconnector
(reftel).
McEldowney
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG ECON PREL PGOV BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA GAS CRISIS DAY 4: SITUATION IMPROVING
REF: SOFIA 0005 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) Despite severe cold and snow, the situation
improved on day four of a complete gas cut-off. As more
district heating plants successfully switched from gas to
other forms of fuel, heat to many apartments around the
country was resumed. Nationwide, sixty-eight schools remain
closed and five hospitals are without heat while they switch
to alternate fuel. The situation continues to take a toll on
industry. Over 70 plants have stopped work completely due to
lack of gas and about 150 are working with limited capacity.
The Ministry of Economy and Energy estimates direct losses to
industry at 8.3 BGN (USD 5.8 million) a day with significant
additional collateral losses such as the inability to fulfill
contracts and service loans. Despite one small protest and a
slew of harshly-worded editorials about government
mis-management, the population remained calm.
2. (SBU) The Foreign and Energy Ministers will brief an
emergency session of the Parliament's Energy Committee on the
situation as well as on diversification efforts on January 9.
Economy and Energy Minister Dimitrov announced January 8
that he and his Greek counterpart had set up a joint working
group for the possible construction of an LNG terminal in the
Aegean. He also repeated his hope to use EU stimulus package
funds to build a linkage to the Greek gas transmission grid
through a hook-up to the Turkey-Greece-Italy interconnector
(reftel).
McEldowney