BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 27. ICGB, operator of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) has launched field surveys to assess impacts on all ecosystems, Teodora Georgieva, ICGB Executive Officer, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
She noted that commitment to environmental and social protection has been a core element of ICGB’s identity from the very start and the company continues to build on these efforts.
“Our teams – and as an extension our contractors - have done a lot of work to try and minimize the impact on the local communities and the environment during the construction phase of the IGB pipeline and these efforts are now being implemented via different activities to ensure we’re just as vigilant and diligent during the interconnector’s operations phase.
The pipeline’s route is 182 km with 151 km on the territory of Bulgaria and 31 km in Greece. We’ve completed bio-restoration along the IGB’s right of way in Bulgaria last year and we’re currently preparing to do the same for the smaller section in Greece. This includes grassing and reforestation to ensure nature isn’t exposed to long-term negative impacts. We’ve also launched field surveys along the entire route to assess current impacts on all ecosystems - fauna, flora and natural habitats. This will help us identify specific measures that could be implemented for conservation, risk mitigation and off-set measures to achieve zero net loss of the ecosystems,” said Georgieva.
The executive director went on to add that ICGB has a dedicated department working on environmental and social management and our commitment and dedication to these aspects of activities as an independent transmission system operator are fundamental.
“There are regular monitoring mechanisms in place, measures for waste management and established communication channels with local communities along the pipeline’s route.
The social aspect of IGB’s impact is not to be underestimated as well – the pipeline’s right of way (RoW) passes near the territories of over 70 settlements of various types. We’ve compensated all landowners and have completed the land hand back procedure successfully, with minimal impact. Crops and fertilizers have been donated to further support landowners. ICGB continues to provide help and assistance to the local stakeholders with programs under our livelihood restoration plan. Just recently we set in place donations to over 70 small settlements along the route to help them meet some of their most pressing individual needs. Some chose to invest in public sports grounds, restoration of religious buildings or public infrastructure,” she explained.
Georgieva went on to add that ICGB operates infrastructure in regions that are not central and somewhat less economically developed and prioritized.
“This is why we’re even more motivated to develop and implement plans and programs for improving the lives of the local stakeholders and communities, vulnerable people, people that are living from the pasture lands and animals,” she said.
Hydrogen transportation
The Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) pipeline holds potential for transporting hydrogen as a blend, even at low percentages, aligning with the EU’s clean energy goals and supporting Bulgaria’s climate commitments, Georgieva said.
“Preliminary studies indicate that small amounts of hydrogen can be mixed with natural gas, although higher levels would require targeted infrastructure investments,” she explained.
The executive officer pointed out that ICGB is currently evaluating market interest to determine whether there is substantial demand for hydrogen transport services in the region.
“This assessment could guide us in aligning future projects with the European Hydrogen Backbone initiative, aimed at establishing a cross-border hydrogen network across Europe. With Bulgaria and Greece already advancing joint hydrogen strategies and planning interconnections, infrastructure will eventually allow cross-border hydrogen flow, boosting energy resilience and accelerating decarbonization in Eastern Europe. This is a development we’re closely monitoring,” said Georgieva.
Carbon reduction and sustainable energy
She pointed out that as a transmission system operator, ICGB is directly or indirectly interlinked with the adjacent gas infrastructures - other transmission and distribution operators, regasification terminals and storage facilities.
“In a general sense we represent one system and all initiatives
including such related to carbon reduction and sustainable energy
are by default subject to the mutual actions of these different
entities. A great example for this is the recently signed
Memorandum of understanding on a joint approach and action plan to
harmonize gas quality requirements at interconnection points in the
Central and South-Eastern European Energy Connectivity (CESEC)
region. The Vertical Gas Corridor – an initiative binding the TSOs
of 7 countries, is also of great significance for the development
of the energy landscape. By working together on infrastructure
upgrades and aligning regulatory frameworks, we can create an
integrated and competitive regional energy market. This cooperation
can accelerate the energy transition by enabling faster deployment
of renewable energy technologies as well,” she said.
Georgieva noted that ICGB sees carbon reduction and sustainable
energy through the emergence of the envisaged hydrogen/low-carbon
market.
“This is unlikely to happen under conventional market developments or at least it will take a far longer time. It is important to be mindful of the role TSOs have in this aspect - we service and support the main commodity trade – regardless of whether it is natural gas, hydrogen or low-carbon gases. There needs to be established demand for TSOs to provide service, hence we need the hydrogen/low-carbon market to emerge in order to move forward with strategic investments allowing TSOs to service it,” said the executive officer.
In the meantime, as Georgieva said, the primary focus remains on
developing and managing natural gas transportation activities to
ensure safe and reliable access to deliveries from diversified
sources.
“The IGB pipeline is crucial in this role when we talk about
Bulgaria and the wider region. With Europe’s commitment to limit
the use of Russian natural gas, IGB’s infrastructure can help
securing deliveries for key markets like Moldova and Ukraine. In
the long run, depending on the market’s development, the
possibility of developing hydrogen transmission infrastructure to
support the secure and efficient transport of energy resources may
also be viable,” she said.
Georgieva noted that given the regional production capacity and production methods, the ICGB does not anticipate significant biomethane volumes utilizing our network.
“The current regulatory environment does not support gas blending in the specific context of ICGB, which is structured around long-term agreements dedicated to natural gas transmission, a core element of our business model. ICGB’s services are aligned with a different market segment from the commodity sector. Thus, integrating green gases such as biomethane, hydrogen, and blends into our network would require the development of a dedicated market for these resources. We actively monitor industry trends to determine whether such tendencies will emerge in the future, and this will help us implement potential business changes to deliver new services,” the executive officer explained.
Talking about managing potential methane emissions, Georgieva noted that the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector is equipped with the Simone system, which monitors in real time for any leaks along the entire route allowing ICGB teams to respond in an instant should something happen.
“Separately, each gas metering station and valve unit have a system for detecting possible gas leaks. Due to IGB’s role as a strategic site subject to national security regulations, we cannot go into more detail,” she said.