Romania's Transgaz signs for the extension of the Vertical Corridor to the Western Balkans

Besides representatives of the companies involved, among those attending the ceremony were the US ambassadors to the countries of South-Eastern Europe: H.E. Ms. Kimberly Guilfoyle – the US Ambassador to Greece, Ms. Nicole Varnes - Chargé d'Affaires a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia and Mr. Joshua Volz - Special Envoy for Energy Integration at the U.S. Department of Energy.

“The Romanian government has consistently supported initiatives that strengthen national, regional, and European energy security, and I am referring here to the Vertical Corridor as a solution for diversifying gas supply sources and routes and reducing external dependencies - a solution with clear benefits for energy security in the Balkan region and Central and Eastern Europe. The investments made by Transgaz to increase interconnectivity and expand options in the region and within the European Union can help us become more resilient in the face of the challenges posed by a constantly evolving energy sector," stated  Cristian Bușoi, Secretary of State within the Ministry of Energy.

Vertical Gas Corridor is a network designed to transport natural gas - including American liquefied natural gas (LNG) - from Greece northward through southeastern and central Europe to Ukraine. As noted by Energy Press, “Three key obstacles – high tariffs, regulatory complexity, and shallow markets in transit countries – continue to weigh on the Vertical Corridor.”

Despite the commercial and regulatory hurdles, proponents argue that the Vertical Gas Corridor offers crucial strategic and economic advantages for Central and Southeastern Europe: decoupling from Russian energy; diversified sourcing via LNG; optimised regional infrastructure; future-proof hydrogen potential.

According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, the corridor “allows for bidirectional gas flows from the Aegean to Central and Eastern Europe. It's expected to create a commercially viable pathway for U.S. LNG exporters to reach markets that previously depended on Russian pipeline gas.”

Core controversies related to the Vertical Corridor relate to commercial flop and low demand (auctions for capacity along the Vertical Corridor have suffered from disappointing turnout and very limited offers); U.S. trade pressure and geopolitics (observers accuse the U.S. administration of pushing aggressive trade and energy strategies to secure lucrative European markets for American LNG, sometimes stoking friction with European Union policy frameworks); and supply vulnerabilities (broader Middle Eastern conflicts and energy disruptions - such as tensions around the Persian Gulf - have raised questions about the grand geopolitical designs of relying heavily on expansive maritime and pipeline supply chains).