BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. ICGB provides financial aid to all municipalities along the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector (IGB) route with a focus on small settlements, Trend reports via the company.
Within the campaign, a total of 156 170 euros will be donated to 12 municipalities. A total of 64 villages in Bulgaria and 7 in Greece will benefit under the campaign.
The initiative is integral to the transmission operator's enduring dedication to bolstering communities and safeguarding the environment along the IGB pipeline route. Spanning 182 kilometers, the interconnector traverses the regions of Haskovo, Dimitrovgrad, Stara Zagora, Kardzhali (Bulgaria), and Komotini (Greece).
“Each municipality will be able to decide individually how to utilize the funds. This way, ICGB provides the communities with the opportunity to address specific needs that are a priority to each settlement. Already, requests have been submitted for utilizing the donations for the purchase of agricultural equipment, equipment for public playgrounds, support for local sports teams, and materials for repairs and maintenance of religious temples,” said ICGB.
ICGB is spearheading several initiatives as part of its "Livelihood Restoration Plan," focusing solely on the regions along the pipeline route in Bulgaria and Greece. The company has already achieved success with a donation campaign, providing farmers with a total of 74 tonnes of fertilizer, sufficient for a decade. Additionally, the transmission operator consistently organizes educational programs for local communities, focusing on safety protocols and crisis management pertinent to the pipeline's operation.
The IGB gas pipeline connects with the Greek national gas transmission system (DESFA S.A.) and the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP AG) in the area of Komotini (Greece), and with the Bulgarian gas transmission system (Bulgartransgaz EAD) in the area of Stara Zagora.
The total length of the gas pipeline is 182 km, the diameter of the pipe - 32'' - and a design capacity of up to 3 billion cubic meters per year in the direction Greece - Bulgaria.
Depending on the market interest for larger capacity and the possibilities of the neighboring gas transmission systems, the capacity of IGB is designed with the option for increase up to 5 billion cubic meters per year with additional construction of a compressor station.
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