By Trend

Indeed, the 1 billion cubic meters / year as per the 25-year contract with Azerbaijan are the backbone of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) project and we are eager to see these quantities being transported through the interconnector upon commercial launch, Teodora Georgieva, executive director of the ICGB AD project company from Bulgaria said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

"We have a few more shippers with long-term capacity bookings so we expect natural gas from other sources as well. A total of 1.57 bcm/y have been booked in IGB’s market test and the rest will be offered on two capacity trading platforms – PRISMA and RBP. As an independent system operator, we want ICGB to market the free capacity in the IGB pipeline in a secure and transparent way. This will ensure equal access from all interested parties who may wish to book capacity," she said.

Georgieva says it’s also important to note that most of the shippers that have booked capacity with us already, are completely new to the Bulgarian market.

"This is of utmost importance for us as it gives a clear sign that the interest in this project and the prospects for Bulgaria’s energy future are very significant.

IGB connects Bulgaria to TAP and makes the country part of the Southern Gas Corridor – two incredibly relevant achievements for the security of future deliveries given the new and challenging reality we all face. IGB will also operate in great synergy with TAP and the LNG terminal near the Greek city of Alexandroupolis. Bulgaria is already a shareholder in the terminal and we’re looking forward to its completion at the end of 2023. Together with IGB, this could be a new gateway for energy deliveries to Europe and we could be looking at stronger roles for both Bulgaria and Greece on the region’s energy map," the executive director added.