BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 6. The 220-million-euro Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), which will be inaugurated on July 8 in Komotini in the presence of the two countries’ prime ministers, will go into operation by the end of July, Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas said, addressing the Economist Conference, Trend reports with reference to Greek media.
The minister underlined Greece’s role for enhancing energy security in the region and the EU with LNG infrastructure that are currently in operation, as well planned new installations, the East Med natural gas pipeline, the upgrading of the electricity interconnection with Bulgaria, Albania and Italy and with the construction of an electricity interconnection with Egypt.
He also noted that the liquefied natural gas terminal at Revithoussa station already covers up to 80 percent of the demand in Bulgaria on a daily basis.
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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