“The quantities of natural gas supplied daily by the ICGB via the interconnector provide Bulgaria and the wider region with a new reliable source of gas, helping us to ensure security and diversification of supply in a difficult period both for individual countries in Europe and for businesses and individual consumers”, said ICGB Executive Directors Teodora Georgieva and Georgios Satlas.
Over 303,000,000 kWh were transferred over the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector in the first days of commercial operation of the facility. The amounts are equal to more than 303 GWh from October 1st to October 9th inclusive.
Carrier ICGB will offer monthly input and output capacity for November on 17/10/2022. The auctions will be held on two leading European platforms - PRISMA and RBP.
The 182-kilometer gas pipeline connects the gas transmission networks of Greece and Bulgaria at the Komotini and Stara Zagora points, and is Bulgaria's direct connection to the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP). From 7:00 a.m. on October 1st, the full volumes of Azeri gas under the contract of the Bulgarian side with Azerbaijan arrive from TAP via IGB.
“The quantities of natural gas supplied daily by the ICGB via the interconnector provide Bulgaria and the wider region with a new reliable source of gas, helping us to ensure security and diversification of supply in a difficult period both for individual countries in Europe and for businesses and individual consumers”, said ICGB Executive Directors Teodora Georgieva and Georgios Satlas.
According to them, daily requests for gas transmission through the pipeline are being fulfilled on schedule and the operation has not encountered any technical problems in the first days of operation of the facility.
The interconnector with Greece has a total capacity of 3 billion cubic meters per year, with more than half already reserved under long-term contracts lasting up to 25 years. Free capacity is offered with full transparency on two of the largest European platforms. At full capacity, the gas pipeline can provide almost all of Bulgaria's winter consumption.
As an independent transmission operator, the ICGB provides regular market information on the quantities of natural gas transmitted both on its website and on the website of the European Network of Gas Transmission System Operators ENTSOG.
The IGB project (Greece-Bulgaria Intersystem Gas Connection) is implemented by the mixed investment company “ICGB” JSC, registered in Bulgaria in 2011 with shareholders BEH EAD (50%) and “IGI Poseidon” (50%). The joint shareholder “IGI Poseidon” is a company registered in Greece, with shareholders the Greek company “DEPA International Projects” S.A. (50%) and the Italian energy group “Edison S.p.A.” (50%).
In accordance with its charter, ICGB JSC is the owner of the IGB gas pipeline, financing its implementation, distributing its transmission capacity and receiving revenues from the transmission of natural gas.
The IGB gas pipeline is connected to the Greek national gas transmission system (DESFA S.A.) and the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP AG) in the area of Komotini (Greece), and to the Bulgarian gas transmission system (Bulgartransgaz EAD) in the area of Stara Zagora. The total length of the gas pipeline is 182 km, the diameter of the pipe - 32'' - and a design capacity of up to 3 billion m3/year in the direction of Greece-Bulgaria. Depending on the market interest in using a larger capacity and the possibilities of the neighboring gas transmission systems, the capacity is designed to increase to 5 billion m3/year, with additional construction of a compressor station.
Source: Diana Zaykova, tel.: 0885/074 422, 0885/614 131; Rositza Donkova, tel.: 0888/343 661