The AMBO project (Albanian Macedonian Bulgarian Oil Corporation) consists of the construction of an oil pipeline from the Bourgas gulf on the Black Sea coast across Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania to the port of Vlore on the Adriatic coast. The 894.5 km long pipeline has been designed to facilitate the transfer of some 30-40 million tonnes of crude oil per year from the Caspian region to the Adriatic Sea and further – to Europe and the US. The political negotiations around the project have so far taken 13 years and are not over yet. Total project costs are estimated to be USD 1.8 billion.

The project is portrayed by the AMBO Corporation as safe, necessary for the region, and one which will bring economic development and new jobs. However, in reality, as with any other major pipeline construction, it will pose a significant threat to the environment and carries certain political and economic risks.

NGOs in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania are concerned with a range of environmental issues related to AMBO:

• AMBO would be an integral part of the planned “Vlore Energy Park” that threatens tourism in Albania's most popular tourist area on the Adriatic and nature conservation in the Natra Lagoon which is protected under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
• The AMBO terminal in Bourgas (together with the separate terminal for the Bourgas- Alexandropoulis pipeline) will increase the risk of pollution from oil spills in the Bourgas Gulf area, which is considered to be an environmental 'hot spot' due to the historic accumulation of negative environmental and health impacts caused by the operation of the Neftochim oil refinery and related oil tanker traffic to the port of Bourgas
• Increased oil tanker traffic in the Black Sea will threaten its ecosystems and will negatively impact on the tourism sector and fishing industry
• Seismic activity on the pipeline route is known to be very high; it is estimated that earthquakes with magnitudes 6.9-7.9 expected in the Pehcevo-Kresna seismic zone will be catastrophic not only for Macedonia but for the entire Balkan region, and could create the largest natural disaster effects that have ever occurred in Europe
  
• The pipeline route will cross protected areas such as – Monument of nature “Peshti” gorge in Macedonia and the Bulgarian “Rila” National Park, the “Atanasovo” Lake Reserve, “Ostrica” Reserve and “Vitosha” Nature Park. The Peshti gorge is known to be rich in caves with Palaeolithic mammal fossils. This is a site of Cammanitary interest (important for the conservation of bats) and home for the protected and rare Egyptian vulture, known to be sensitive to noise and motion in its environment. In the caves there are remains of an early Christian Church. The whole area is breathtaking, and is regarded as a landscape with great potential for the development of recreational tourism.
• The pipeline will have significant climate impact as the amount of oil that would be delivered by the AMBO pipeline would induce more than 100 millions tons of CO2 per year. This exceeds the combined annual CO2 emissions of Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania.
  

The NGOs from Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania carefully monitor the development of this project. Their goals are focused on preventing public financial support from IFIs to the AMBO; ensuring adequate public participation and regard to environmental concerns in all three countries and stopping the project or considerably changing the project design in order to prevent environmental and social damage.


For more information contact Ana Colovic-Lesoska, the Bankwatcher in Eco-sense/Eko-svest, Macedonia, monitoring the project's development.