Black Sea Technology Company, 99.69%-owned by Italy's AMGA Azienda Multiservizi S.p.A., intends to spend 14 mln levs on the deployment of 167 km of gas mains in the Dobrudja gas distribution region through March 2009, head of communications Svilen Ivanov told a news conference in Sliven. The company plans to start the gasification of the cities of Valchi Dol, Vetrino, Devnya, Kaolinovo, Suvarovo and Hitrino over the next 2 years. A total of 20 km of new gas mains will be installed in Shumen in 2007 at a cost of 2 mln levs. BSTC will also pay 0.798 mln levs for a 5,809 m existing gas main.

A total of 127 industrial, 193 civic and 1,617 household customers should have the option to switch to natural gas by March 2009, said Ivanov. Over the past 2.5 years, BSTC has installed 71 km of gas piping in the cities Shumen, Provadia, Dalgopol, Aksakovo, Beloslav and Kaspichan. BSTC has been granted 35-year gas distribution licences for the Mizia and Dobrudja regions. The company has invested 26 mln levs so far in 220 km of gas mains.