ICGB

The natural gas InterConnector Greece-Bulgaria (ICGB) announced this week the signing of an interconnection agreement with Greece's natural gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA) at the interconnection point (IP) located in Komotini in the north of the country.

The Bulgaria-Greece gas interconnector project marks a successful year of operation, transporting over 15.5 million MWh in 2023 without any disruption, reported IGB.

The small, in length, but strategically important IGB pipeline, which connects the Bulgarian system with the Greek natural gas transmission system and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), will start commercial operation, next month, in July. Today (17 June) the pipeline will undergo final testing  with the introduction of the last quantities of 1.5 million cubic meters of gas.

Ten companies have expressed an interest to bid in a 60 million euros ($74 million) tender to supply pipes for a 185-km (115 miles) gas pipeline between Greece and Bulgaria (IGB), the Bulgarian energy ministry said on Friday.

ICGB, the project company tasked with completing the construction of the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector, told BIRN that the firm  hopes the project will soon be back on track after two procurement procedures for the selection of an engineer-consultant and pipes delivery, were  stopped due to appeals.

The joint venture building the natural gas pipeline between Bulgaria and Greece is seeking binding bids for the use of the gas link by the end of October, its chief executive said on Monday.

Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), estimated to cost 220 million euros, has received nine expressions of interest to transport gas through it for a total capacity of 4.3 billion cubic meters.

Bulgaria's government has received six indicative offers to use capacity of the gas interconnector that is to be built between Bulgaria and Greece, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has said.

Construction of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) is to begin next October, and the link is to become operational by mid-2018, officials from the two countries confirmed on Thursday.

Bulgaria and Greece's Energy Ministers are to sign on Thursday the investment agreement to build a gas interconnector that will help bring supplies from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria and further north.

The project has been in limbo for months after the signing, scheduled for July, was postponed, with Athens citing obstacles due to the political situation in the summer.