site.btaGreece-Bulgaria Interconnector Issued Certificate Attesting to Completion of Work on Bulgarian Territory

The Greece-Bulgaria interconnector has been issued Act 15, the certificate attesting to completion of works for the territory of Bulgaria. The procedures required for the commercial launch of the pipeline are progressing according to the set schedule and IGB will do so as of October 1, the Energy Ministry said on Friday. 

Act 15 certifies that the facility has been completed, is technically fit and the contractor, Greek company AVAX, is delivering it as completed to the contracting party, the independent ICGB gas operator.

"We have taken all steps required for convening a commission to issue Act 16 for Bulgaria and, accordingly, a Permit for Use, and this is the last one,” said Teodora Georgieva, Executive Director on the Bulgarian side of the company that designed and operates the ICGB pipe, and her Greek counterpart, George Satlas. 

All documents required have been submitted to the relevant institutions and the administrative procedures are expected to be completed by the end of next week. In parallel with the finishing works carried out by the EPC contractor, ICGB continues the coordination of the administrative procedures in Bulgaria and Greece necessary for the issuance of all permits for the use of the infrastructure and its legal commissioning. According to Satlas, the necessary permits for the operation of the gas pipeline on the territory of Greece are expected to be issued by end-September.

72-hour tests have already been carried out of the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector, at which gas  was flown in both directions at workload pressure from Greece to Bulgaria.

"There are no technical problems and everything is ready for operation," the two executive directors said.  

The commercial operation of IGB is of key importance to fortify the security of supply and to ensure the diversification of natural gas sources for Bulgaria and the region of South-Eastern Europe. The project connects Bulgaria to the Southern Gas Corridor and will enable secure supplies from various sources to a number of CSEE countries, including Moldova and Ukraine.