BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.25. The interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) can provide a safe route for gas supplies to different countries, ICGB Executive Officer Teodora Georgieva said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
“IGB’s free capacity is available on two European platforms and is open to all interested shippers that comply with the relevant regulations. Through existing infrastructure including the Trans-Balkan Pipeline, IGB can provide a safe route for diversified gas supplies for countries in the region such as Moldova and Ukraine as well,’ she said.
Georgieva noted that whether this would be used as a viable option for gas supply is not up to ICGB as a transmission system operator.
The Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) began commercial operation on October 1, 2022.
Since the beginning of the current heating season, the interconnector provides nearly 1/3 of the winter consumption of natural gas in Bulgaria. IGB is the first route for diversified supplies of natural gas to Bulgaria, guaranteeing increased security of supply and diversity of sources, contributing significantly to the competition in the natural gas market, which is a prerequisite for optimized prices for businesses and domestic consumers in the country.
The gas pipeline creates an entirely new route through Bulgaria for the transportation of natural gas from new sources to a number of countries, which reinforces the key role of the interconnector not only at a national level, but also for the entire region of Central and Southeastern Europe.
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