BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 4. The ICGB, an independent transmission operator, which is responsible for the commercial operation of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), is now a member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG), the ICGB told Trend.
According to the operator, ICGB’s membership application was unanimously approved during the latest General Assembly of ENTSOG. A total of 43 transmission operators from the EU member states are members of the organization.
"ICGB has strict commitments for full transparency of its activity and is obliged to systematically provide public information on the quantities of natural gas transported through the IGB. The information is available at any time on the ENTSOG online platform," the source said.
The role of the ENTSOG is to facilitate and improve cooperation between national gas transmission system operators (TSOs) in Europe, to ensure the development of a pan-European transmission system in line with the energy and climate goals of the EU.
The IGB's total capacity is estimated at 3 billion cubic meters per year, more than half of which is already reserved under long-term contracts of up to 25 years. The remaining free capacity is offered at auctions on two of the leading European platforms - PRISMA and RBP.
IGB connects Bulgaria with the Southern Gas Corridor and will enable secure supplies from a variety of sources to several countries in Southeast and Central Europe, including Moldova and Ukraine.
The pipeline is set to transport 1 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas per year to Bulgaria. Its capacity is 3 billion cubic meters with the possibility of expanding to 5 billion cubic meters per year.
The opening ceremony of the IGB was held in Greece's Komotini on July 8, while the inauguration ceremony was held in Bulgaria on October 1, 2022.
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