Discounts Revive the “Vertical Corridor” for Gas Imports to Ukraine

Following a 50% tariff reduction announced by Romania’s Transgaz and its Moldovan subsidiary Vestmoldtransgaz, three companies booked November transmission capacities for the Trans-Balkan pipeline – known as the “Vertical Corridor”, Logos Press reports.

After two months of inactivity, market demand reappeared.
Total booked capacity: 0.6 million m³/day, including: DEPA Commercial (Greece),D.Trading (DTEK, Ukraine), Axpo Trading (Switzerland).

In total, TSOs from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine offered 1.9 million m³/day for November. No bookings were made in September and October, halting imports.
Since January 2025, 18 million m³ of gas have been delivered to Ukraine through this route.

Tariff cuts and Ukraine’s need for increased imports amid declining domestic gas production have revived the route’s importance.

IDR Comment:

According to the Institute of Danube Research, the Vertical Gas Corridor is emerging as a key North–South energy integration route, linking Greek LNG terminals with Ukraine’s gas grid via Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova.

Key takeaways:

-       The Transgaz tariff reduction shows regulatory flexibility and improves competitiveness of regional transit.

-       Ukraine gains a non-Russian import channel, critical for winter supply resilience.

-       The corridor aligns with the EU’s Vertical Gas Corridor initiative, designed to enhance interconnectivity across South-Eastern Europe.

IDR notes that by 2026, once Bulgarian and Moldovan upgrades are completed, the corridor could serve as a strategic diversification backbone for Ukraine’s energy security.