Greece-Bulgaria natural gas interconnector began supplying gas to Moldova

The transportation of the first quantities of gas to Moldova via the Greece-Bulgaria natural gas interconnector, IGB, started successfully today, December 1, the ICGB operator company said.

Over 80% of the IGB pipeline's total capacity of 3 billion cubic metres per year has now been booked.

IGB has a key role to play in diversifying the sources of natural gas supply for the region. The interconnector links Bulgaria directly to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor, allowing access to new, diversified sources and contributing directly to increased security of supply. The infrastructure is key for the whole Central and South-Eastern European region, creating a completely new route for the transport of natural gas from new sources to a number of countries, including Moldova and Ukraine.

As of 1 October 2022, the quantities of natural gas transported via the interconnector provide nearly 1/3 of Bulgaria's winter consumption. For the time being, the capacity reserved for Moldova will also be used to secure the necessary quantities for the country's domestic consumption during the winter period, ensuring a reliable and predictable source of supply.

Bulgaria and Moldova signed agreements for access to the Bulgarian gas transmission network

The spare IGB capacity is offered by the independent transmission operator ICGB on two leading European platforms - PRISMA and RBP. With the start of transmission to Moldova, IGB reaches more than 80% fill of its total capacity of 3 bcm/year.

"This is a clear sign of the market interest in IGB and the opportunities it offers - enhanced energy connectivity, increased security of supply and access to diverse sources. The interconnector has a crucial role in this time of uncertainty and increased risks, and we believe that the possibility of increasing the capacity of IGB to 5 bcm/year will contribute even more tangibly to the energy security of Bulgaria and Greece, as well as of neighbouring countries and the wider region," ICGB CEOs Teodora Georgieva and Georgios Satlas stressed.