BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.12
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
Field teams engaged in construction of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) are already setting up the stage for the most technically complex element in the entire IGB project – the crossing under the Studen Kladenets Dam, Trend reports with reference to the ICGB AD, a project company.
The underwater section of the pipeline has the impressive total length of 1 420 m. The drilling process will be implemented though the method of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) by a trusted contractor – the French company Horizontal Drilling International.
The entire process is expected to take a total of 152 days (97 days for site preparation and 63 for drilling activities) and estimated 72 hours of non-stop work for the final phase, when the entire welded and coated section of the pipeline will be pulled under the dam in one go. Work is underway and the crossing will be completed within the planned timeline.
The IGB project is on track and all construction activities show steady progress during the summer months. You can see some of the achieved milestones in the latest video of the #interconnector Greece – Bulgaria.
The deadline for construction of IGB is the end of 2021.
The IGB project enables the transmission of gas and supplies from new sources, making it key to Bulgaria's energy security and part of the national plan for diversification of gas sources. The capacity of the project is 3 billion cubic meters with the option to reach 5 billion cubic meters. Half of the capacity of the interconnector is already reserved, as four of the shippers are completely new to the Bulgarian market. A contract has been signed for the supply of 1 billion cubic meters from Shah Deniz 2 based on a long-term contract with Bulgargaz.
The conclusion of the contract for construction of the interconnector dates back from the end of 2019, as one of the main commitments of the project company in structuring IGB is the obligation to control costs within the approved budget, which will ensure competitive transmission for customers. The delay in construction activities and the approved update of the construction schedule for the end of 2021 are due to objective reasons related to the global coronavirus pandemic and do not lead to direct losses. The established alternative route through the Greek system and Siderokastro provides a temporary solution for servicing the contract with Azerbaijan until IGB is put into commercial operation.
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