By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Bulgaria receives the maximum possible amount of Azerbaijani gas via the route, through which supplies are temporarily carried out due to delays in the construction of the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB).

The independent member of the Bulgargaz Board of Directors, Svetoslav Delchev, made the remarks, Trend said.

“Due to the lack of connection with Greece, our country cannot receive more than a third of contracted one billion cubic meters of gas per year. This is the maximum amount of gas we can receive via this route. Due to the delay in the construction of the gas pipeline to Greece, Bulgaria suffers negatives” he said.

He noted that Bulgaria continues to buy Azerbaijani gas at the agreed prices.

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria signed a contract for the supply of 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year via the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria starting from 2021. However, as the IGB’s construction hasn’t been completed, Azerbaijani gas is delivered to Bulgaria via the Kulata-Sidirokastro interconnection point.

The IGB Project (Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria) is being implemented by the joint venture company ICGB AD, registered in Bulgaria in 2011, with shareholders Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD and IGI Poseidon.

The IGB gas pipeline will be connected with the Greek national gas transmission system in the area of Komotini and with the Bulgarian national gas transmission system in the area of Stara Zagora. The planned length of the pipeline is 182 km and the projected capacity will be up to 3 bcm/y in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria. Depending on the interest from the market and the capacities of the neighboring gas transmission systems, the pipeline is designed for increasing its capacity up to 5 bcm/y.

A memorandum for cooperation between ICGB AD and TAP AG has been signed concerning joint actions in relation to the future connection between the IGB pipeline and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline.

IGB project is extremely important in terms of enhancing the security of supply and ensuring the diversification of gas supplies for Bulgaria and the SEE Region.