BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.6. The Interconnector
Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) has immensely modified South-East Europe’s
power map, Executive Officer of ICGB, the pipeline operator,
Teodora Georgieva stated in an unique interview with Trend.
“This goes into two elements – impression on a nationwide stage for the
two host international locations Greece and Bulgaria, and worldwide
regarding our neighbors and the broader SEE area. On a nationwide
scale, each Bulgaria and Greece have been in a position to strengthen their roles
on the power map after IGB’s profitable launch in October final
yr. For Bulgaria, the advantages of IGB have been felt even perhaps
stronger internally, because the nation now has a diversified and protected
new route for pure gasoline provides – for the primary time we’re not
depending on one sole supply. This is a significant feat and the ICGB
group has labored extraordinarily arduous to make it doable underneath fairly
difficult circumstances. The new route for gasoline deliveries has had a
optimistic impression in the marketplace, optimizing costs for finish shoppers,
and making it doable to proceed with the gasification of whole
native areas,” she stated.
Georgieva famous that on a world stage, it’s now
doable to supply capability for pure gasoline transportation to
a number of international locations within the SEE area, together with the neighbors within the
Western Balkans.
“This is actually a breath of contemporary air for the market at a
time when power independence and safety of provide have turn out to be so
essential. The timing of IGB’s launch couldn’t have been higher in
that facet and I’m sure that the consequences of this undertaking and
its strategic location so near TAP, TANAP, the Trans-Balkan
Pipeline, and some LNG terminals might be felt even stronger within the
future,” she added.
Booked capability
She famous that the present capability of the Interconnector
Greece-Bulgaria is 3 bcm/y and as of proper now it’s booked at
nearly 94 p.c.
Georgieva believes that for a pipeline that’s launched in simply
underneath 6 months, this can be a large success.
“The IGB undertaking was initially believed to be a extremely related
infrastructure each for the 2 host international locations and the broader area
all the best way again in 2009 when the concept for it was established.
Personally, I’ve at all times believed in it as a pricey reason behind mine
with a terrific worldwide impression. Now, given the brand new realities in
Europe, we are able to all really feel with certainty that this pipeline is really
a game-changer – it has helped Bulgaria diversify its inner
consumption of pure gasoline, breaking the cycle of dependence on one
most important provider, and it has strengthened Greece’s place on the
power map as effectively. That being stated, via IGB we’re already
seeing different international locations benefiting as effectively, and we’re engaged on
partnerships with native firms to supply gasification to
nationwide areas that used to not have this feature. I have to say that
after years of arduous work and extraordinary challenges, IGB’s launch
with 3 bcm/y was an absolute success,” added Georgieva.
Sources of gasoline
The govt director stated that at present, the principle supply of
provides for the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria is gasoline flowing
via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
“Our undertaking can be in synergy with deliberate and current LNG
terminals within the area,” she defined.
Georgieva famous that as of October 1st, 2022, IGB is
transporting the complete volumes of Azerbaijani gasoline contracted between
Bulgaria and Azerbaijan from the Shah Deniz II gasoline subject.
“About half of the three bcm/y capability of the pipeline – 1.57 bcm/y
is booked underneath long-term contracts for as much as 25 years. The relaxation in
phrases of free capability is obtainable on the PRISMA and RBP platforms,”
she defined.
Forecasts for capability utilization
Georgieva famous that the capability utilization of the
Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria is predicted to stay above 90
p.c in 2023 and 2024.
“In 2023, ICGB, as a dependable transmission operator, will
fulfill the already undertaken commitments to switch gasoline
portions underneath the already signed long-term contracts,” she
stated.
Georgieva famous that the market of pure gasoline within the area and
Europe as an entire may be very dynamic proper now, given the continued warfare
in Ukraine in addition to the measures that European international locations are
taking to beat its penalties.
“As a results of these circumstances, within the third month since
the beginning of economic operation of IGB, the capability of the gasoline
pipeline was utilized above 90 p.c. We anticipate that this development
will persist and proceed in 2023 and probably in 2024, however
in the end this might be decided by the wants and demand for
pure gasoline of the international locations within the area,” stated the manager
officer.
Progress in ending work
The EPC contractor remains to be implementing among the remaining
actions that don’t have direct impression on the exploitation of the
Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria, Teodora Georgieva stated.
“These so-called secondary actions don’t intervene with the
easy functioning and security of the gasoline pipeline,” she famous
Georgieva went on so as to add that they’re nonetheless, nevertheless, part of
the contract and we as a contracting entity require them to be
fulfilled inside the scope of the technical undertaking.
“We’re supervising carefully the actions and mark vital
progress on a few of them, whereas work on others stays moderately
hesitant in tempo,” she defined.
Expanding the geography of provides
She identified that the interconnector Greece-Bulgaria can
present a protected route for gasoline provides to totally different international locations.
“IGB’s free capability is on the market on two European platforms and
is open to all shippers that adjust to the related
rules. Through current infrastructure together with the
Trans-Balkan Pipeline, IGB can present a protected route for diversified
gasoline provides for international locations within the area resembling Moldova and
Ukraine as effectively,’ she stated.
Georgieva famous that whether or not this might be used as a viable
possibility for gasoline provide is less than ICGB as a transmission system
operator.
Hydrogen transmission potential
ICGB is already researching the potential for hydrogen
transmission and the subjects associated, Teodora Georgieva stated.
“We imagine the apparent technical constraints might be resolved
within the foreseeable future, at the very least to a sure stage enough
sufficient for transportation of blended gases,” the manager officer
defined.
Apart, Georgieva famous that the true prospects for hydrogen
pumping rely in the marketplace of this commodity.
“Our transmission service is only a small piece of a really bigger
puzzle known as hydrogen economic system. It should even be famous that for IGB
to begin pumping hydrogen, there must be synergy with at the very least
a number of consecutive infrastructure operators in that facet.
Adjacent operators must also be prepared for hydrogen transportation
to/from a sure vacation spot to allow the precise course of. We have
acknowledged this as a future alternative, and I’m sure we’ll
be prepared to slot in as soon as the hydrogen market begins to develop extra
noticeably,” she stated.
