BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 23
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Roughly 100 km of the gas interconnector Greece-Bulgaria is completely ready, Trend reports with reference to the ICGB AD, a project company.
“More than 160 km of the gas interconnector with Greece are now welded, and the fully completed sections reach 100 km. The preparation of the trench continues in parallel with the implementation of a number of other activities such as non-destructive testing of each weld, shrinkable sleeve application and hydro-tests. Preparations for the passage of the gas pipeline under the Maritza River have already been completed and the teams on site are ready to start drilling in line with the time window for the activity set by the MoEW,” said the company.
The two Executive Officers of the project company ICGB - Teodora Georgieva and Konstantinos Karayannakos noted that
the project company has included serious compensation in the contract for the construction of the interconnector, which will be requested by the contractor if the implementation of IGB is not completed within the set deadlines.
As of the second half of June, the construction and installation work on the gas metering station near Stara Zagora and a dispatch center near Haskovo are progressing well. The excavation works have been completed, setting the foundations is almost done and the construction of the above ground installations has begun according to plan. Currently, the third environmental and social audit is taking place on site of the pipeline. It is being done by an independent consultant according to the strict European investment bank (EIB) standards and the procedure is part of the control mechanism under the loan agreement between EIB and ICGB's Bulgarian shareholder.
The interconnector with Greece is an entirely new route for the transmission of natural gas to Europe and will give Bulgaria and the region access to supplies from new sources. The project will connect Bulgaria with the Southern Gas Corridor and also has excellent synergy with major energy projects such as TAP, TANAP, EastMed and the LNG terminal at Alexandropoulos. IGB will open the Bulgarian market to new traders and will increase the competition, which is expected to allow the end users in both countries to benefit from more optimal prices.
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