BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov.24
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Hydraulic tests of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) in Bulgaria will start in the following weeks, the ICGB AD, a project company, told Trend.
The company said that work continues not only on the linear part of the pipeline, but also on the above-ground installations and the dispatching centre.
“The gas metering station (GMS) near Stara Zagora is under construction and progressing well, while construction of the GMS in Komotini has also started but experiencing some delays. Hydraulic tests in Greece are underway with the first three sections already successfully completed. The same activity is expected to start on Bulgarian territory in the following weeks,” said the ICGB AD.
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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