One of Türkiye’s leading conglomerates has won a tender to build a key pipeline that will transport natural gas from Romania’s Black Sea reserves and link the resources to a multinational European corridor, according to a statement.

A deal signed between Kalyon Holding and Romania’s natural gas transport system operator Transgaz on Friday foresees the construction of the Black Sea Shore-Podisor Gas Pipeline, or Tuzla-Podisor gas transmission pipeline, which will transport the gas to the inland connection points of the country.

The project is worth around 500 million euros (about $546 million). It involves constructing a more than 308-kilometer-long (191.38-mile-long) pipeline that will link the gas resources exploited in the offshore Neptune Deep project to the BRUA corridor.

BRUA is a project for a pipeline linking the gas transmission systems of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria.

Ion Sterian, general director of Transgaz, said very strong companies had participated in the tender. "But the best one won the tender. The project will make a great contribution to the energy security not only of Romania but also of Europe," he stressed.

He emphasized the longstanding good relations and cooperation between Romania and Türkiye and underlined that many Turkish companies had won tenders in Romania, especially in the infrastructure sector.

Approximately 45% of Romania’s consumption will be met with the gas transported through the pipeline, which will have a capacity exceeding 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually, according to Sterian.

The project will have a pipe diameter ranging from 48 to 40 inches (121.92 to 101.60 centimeters). It also includes the supply of pipes to be used, 20 valve stations, power supply, cathodic protection and fiber optic manufacturing.

The project is expected to employ approximately 1,200 people.