BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 31. Azerbaijani natural gas continues to play a crucial role in ensuring favorable pricing on the Bulgarian market, Trend reports referring to the latest announcement by Bulgaria’s Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC). The EWRC has set the price of natural gas for June at BGN 64.32 per megawatt hour (MWh), excluding access, transmission, excise, and VAT costs. This is the price at which the state-owned supplier Bulgargaz will deliver gas to end suppliers and heating utilities across the country. The commission said the price was determined after a detailed analysis of updated data submitted by Bulgargaz. A key element of the pricing formula is the inclusion of the full volume of Azerbaijani gas delivered via the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB), under a long-term supply contract with Azerbaijan. “These volumes cover a significant portion of Bulgaria’s energy needs and play a key role in securing a favourable price for natural gas,” the EWRC noted in its statement. In addition to Azerbaijani supplies, Bulgargaz has also concluded two contracts for the delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with international traders. The Greece-Bulgaria interconnector connects Bulgaria to the Southern Gas Corridor and is part of the Vertical Gas Corridor. The pipeline strengthens energy connectivity and security in the region, providing access to natural gas from new, diversified sources. Currently operating at 3 bcm/y, the pipeline has the potential to expand its technical capacity up to 5 bcm/y. The interconnector currently secures about 70 percent of Bulgaria’s internal natural gas consumption and is a reliable route for diversified deliveries to key markets such as Moldova and Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn