Canceled Gas Pipeline Thrills Environmentalists

The cancelled South Stream natural gas pipeline project was to bring Russian natural gas through Bulgaria to the EU via a route designed to avoid the Ukraine. Canceled Gas Pipeline Thrills Environmentalists

Canceled Gas Pipeline Thrills Environmentalists

First announced in June of 2007, the proposed South Stream pipeline was to funnel Russian natural gas beneath the Black Sea to Galata, a seaport near the Bulgarian city of Varna.

Canceled Gas Pipeline Thrills Environmentalists

These images, taken from a remote-controlled drone on Saturday, November 29th, showcase Bulgaria’s Pasha dere coast. Also shown is Rakitnika, a suburb of Varna very close to where the South Stream pipeline project is to cross the coast and destined to be (deleteriously, in the minds of many residents) affected by the required industrial infrastructure.

Canceled Gas Pipeline Thrills Environmentalists

Canceled Gas Pipeline Thrills Environmentalists

Canceled Gas Pipeline Thrills Environmentalists

After running westward to the city of Pleven, the pipeline was to then branch out with a northern section leading to Austria and a southern extension being built across Greece, eventually terminating on the “boot” of southern Italy. While very tempting economically both in terms of energy supply and job creation, the South Stream gas pipeline was fraught with potential problems from the beginning.