22.05.2019
“The finalization of the gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece will play a key role both in the region and in Europe as a whole.” This is what Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said during his meeting with the Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras before the official start of the construction of the interconnector between the two states. “The project is of strategic significance not only for both of our states, but also for Europe as a whole, including the countries of the Western Balkans,” underlined Prime Minister Borissov and noted that the interconnector will result in a real diversification of natural gas supply sources and routes.
During the conversation with his Greek colleague, Boyko Borissov reminded that one of the priorities in the programme of the Bulgarian government is granting energy security and development of the market, including preparation, construction of the project and exploitation of the gas supply interconnection Bulgaria-Greece in 2020. “We are fulfilling the assigned tasks in order to provide the needed infrastructure through which gas will be supplied for the region in competitive conditions,” also pointed out the prime minister.
During the meeting, both leaders put an emphasis on the key significance of the inter-systemic gas network as a part of the collective Balkan projects and underlined the importance of the construction of routes, railways, ports, and digital infrastructure for the connectivity and stability of the Balkans. “The better our common projects are developing, the better that is for investments, tourism, passenger flow, and goods,” also said Boyko Borissov.
The construction of the interconnector Greece – Bulgaria has the goal of ensuring diversification not only of the routes, but also of the sources of natural gas for Bulgaria and the region. As part of the development of the Southern Gas Corridor, through the construction of IGB, Bulgaria and its neighbor countries will gain access to alternative gas supplies from the Caspian region, as well as from already existing or to be constructed in the future terminals for liquefied gas.
The gas supply interconnection between Bulgaria and Greece has the length of 182 kilometers, from which 150 are on Bulgarian territory. It starts from Komotini, Greece and reaches the Bulgarian gas supply system of Stara Zagora. Its technical capacity is from 3 to 5 cubic meters. The project is worth EUR 220 million.
