The commissioning of the gas interconnection between Bulgaria and Greece, so-called IGB pipeline was planned for April 2021 but according to Bulgarian media, the deadline for the completion of the pipeline could be postponed for the second half of 2021.
Executive Director of ICGB, a joint venture company of Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) and IGI Poseidon, in which Greek Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) and Italian Edison hold equal stakes, Teodora Georgieva said that, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the disruption of international travel and supplies, the company tasked with the construction of the pipeline – Greek AVAX, has asked for an extension of the deadline.
In January, Bulgarian Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova said that the construction of gas interconnector will be completed in October this year. The delivery of the first batch of line pipes manufactured by Greek Corinth Pipeworks should be completed by the end of March. Last May, ICGB awarded a contract for the construction of Bulgaria-Greece gas interconnection, so-called IGB pipeline, to Greek J&P-AVAX, which offered 144.85 million euros. The project company also awarded a supply line pipes contract worth 58.2 million euros to Greek Corinth Pipeworks Industry. 182 kilometers long Bulgaria-Greece gas interconnection is designed with the capacity between 3 and 5 billion cubic meters of gas per year, but it could be extended up to 10 billion cubic meters in case of commercial interest and economical justification. The construction of gas interconnection officially started on 22 May 2019.
