Gas running through Slovakia in various directions

On Wednesday the gas supply company Eustream launched the commercial operation of a Slovak-Hungarian pipeline. "The obstacles on the Hungarian side that prevented the launch of operations have been removed," said Eustream spokesman Vahram Chuguryan adding that the Slovak-Hungarian pipeline offers the market a transit capacity of 4.5 billion cubic metres of volume per year from Slovakia to Hungary. In the other direction there is a capacity of 1.8 billion cubic metres a year. This bi-directional pipeline has a length of approximately 113 kilometres, with 94 km in Hungary and 19 km on Slovak territory. The gas pipeline connects high-pressure transmission systems between Veľké Zlievce on the Slovak side and the Hungarian town of Vecses on the outskirts of Budapest. Eustream's main task is to transport natural gas into Slovakia and through its territory to European markets.

And on the back of that story comes information on the Slovak - Ukrainian reverse flow project. Ukraine has turned to the European Union with a complaint concerning the agreement between the Slovak gas supply company Eustream and the Russian gas company Gazprom, which, according to Kiev violates the EU legislation by enabling Gazprom not to allow reverse flow of gas to Ukraine through the main transit pipeline system, reads the Hospodarske Noviny daily. The complaint of Ukraine is unfounded maintains the Slovak gas carrier the company Eustream. The transit of gas through Slovakia continues, stated Economy Minister Vazil Hudák after a Government session on Wednesday adding that transit supplies of gas to Slovakia haven't even been reduced, unlike the situation seen during the winter. Deliveries of natural gas and its transit from Russia via Ukraine to the European Union are not at risk for now. The supply is not endangered despite the fact that the Ukrainian and Russian side failed to agree on additional gas supplies for the rest of this year at their talks in Vienna on Tuesday, at which was also the European Commission took part. European Commission Vice President Marošš Šefčovič announced this at a news conference on Wednesday.