BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.29
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Due to the pandemic, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria is likely to be operational at the start of October 2021, Bulgargaz told ICIS, Trend reports.
The pipe was expected to start commercial operations by July 2021, Teodora Georgieva, chief executive officer/executive director at project company ICGB said.
Currently, Greek company J&P AVAX, the contractor for the design, supply and construction contract has submitted a request to extend the project implementation period with an indicative deadline of the end of 2021.
The request is justified by the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to make it difficult to maintain the steady pace of work set out in the preliminary plan, an official IGB spokeswoman told ICIS.
“There are also complex technological challenges that also require time. The request from the builder is yet to be discussed. Shippers, the national regulatory authorities of Bulgaria and Greece and the European Commission will also be officially notified,” added the spokeswoman.
IGB will provide the shortest and the most competitive route along the Southern Gas Corridor for bringing natural gas to Bulgaria.
The route of the gas pipeline is divided into 7 main lots, the shortest being 9.55 km long and the longest - 71.90 km. 106 km of the route in Bulgaria will be completed with automatic welding, and the remaining 45 km - by manual welding.
The total value of the interconnector that will connect the gas transmission networks of Bulgaria and Greece, is nearly EUR 240 million, provided from shareholders' capital, a loan from the EIB of EUR 110 million with a state guarantee and grants of EUR 39 million under the Operational Program "Innovation and Competitiveness 2014-2020". For the purposes of the project, EUR 45 million have been provided from the European Energy Program for Recovery. IGB project envisages the construction of a gas interconnector that will link the gas transmission systems of Greece and Bulgaria. The total length of the gas pipeline is 182.6 km, and its capacity for gas transmission is 3 billion cubic meters per year with the option to reach 5 billion cubic meters.
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