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Conduction of IGB metering stations nearing completion

Oil&Gas Materials 31 May 2022 17:14 (UTC +04:00)
Conduction of IGB metering stations nearing completion
Laman Zeynalova
Laman Zeynalova
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 31. The finishing works on construction and testing of the gas metering stations near Stara Zagora and Komotini are underway as part of the project for construction of Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), the ICGB AD, the project company told Trend.

The facility near Stara Zagora is 96 percent completed and is to be tested with natural gas.

“The gas metering station on Bulgarian territory has already successfully undergone hydro tests and pneumatic tests. In June, the same process will be repeated for the station near the Greek city of Komotini, which is almost double in scale and is 84 percent complete. The hydro tests of the station on Greek territory have already been successfully performed as well,” the company said.

Reportedly, the contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction contract - the Greek company AVAX - is committed not only to complete the construction as soon as possible, complying with all quality standards, but also to conduct tests with real quantities of gas along the entire route of the interconnector.

This is a necessary condition for IGB to be fully approved as technically reliable. To this end, a tender has already been announced for the purchase of the necessary quantities of natural gas for the initial gas-in of the interconnector. The auction starts in the first week of June and will be held on the platform of GAS HUB BALKAN EAD.

From an administrative point of view, there are also forthcoming procedures that should be implemented in parallel with the completion of construction and testing activities. The procedure for certification of the project company ICGB as an independent transmission operator is progressing - coordination of a draft decision with the European Commission is expected, followed by issuance of a final joint decision for certification by the national energy regulators of Bulgaria and Greece - EWRC and RAE. Other institutions on the Bulgarian side that also have administrative commitments are the Directorate for National Construction Control, the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Protection of the Population, the State Agency for Metrology and Technical Supervision, Regional Environmental Inspections under the Ministry of Environment and Waters, Basin Directorates, Road Administrations and the Regional Health Inspectorate.

The IGB project is of key importance for increasing security of supply and for ensuring diversification of natural gas sources for Bulgaria and the region of Southeast Europe. At the regional level, IGB will provide access to the gas transmission network for Bulgarian municipalities and regions that didn’t have an option for connectivity. 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 the country with the Southern Gas Corridor and has excellent synergy with other major energy projects such as TAP, TANAP, EastMed and the LNG terminal at Alexandroupolis.

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