Case Study: Inland risks from the planned construction and operation of the AMBO pipeline

The AMBO project (Albanian Macedonian Bulgarian Oil Corporation) consists of the construction of an oil pipeline from the port of Bourgas (Bulgaria) through Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania to the port of Vlore (Albania). The 894.5 km long pipeline has been designed to facilitate the transfer of crude oil from the Caspian region to the Adriatic Sea and further to Europe and the US. Some 30-40 million tonnes per year would be transferred, with total project costs estimated to be USD 1.8 billion.

The debate around the project has so far taken 13 years and is not over yet. It seems to have been a real challenge for the AMBO Corporation to secure the funding for the project, until the picture of the oil supply is clear to the potential investors.