Management of ICGB and AVAX met with Minister Shishkov regarding the finishing works on the interconnector with Greece

The finishing works on the intersystem gas connection Greece - Bulgaria are in the process of implementation and the ICGB expects them to be realized within the terms declared by the builder in accordance with all the requirements of the technical project.

The Greek construction company AVAX is responsible for the implementation of three main activities, divided into separate stages after approval by the Ministry of Planning and Development. They are not directly related to the commercial operation of the gas pipeline, but remain part of the builder's contract with the independent transmission operator ICGB and should be performed in accordance with the requirements of the contracting authority and the approved technical design. This was announced by the ICGB company.

During a meeting between the management of ICGB, the contractor of the construction contract, the management of MRRB, representatives of the construction supervision and the designer, it was noted that the main activities are in three directions - completion of a spare optical cable with the placement of the appropriate marking and digging of shafts , construction of part of the access road to the gas measuring station near Stara Zagora and implementation of anti-erosion measures along the route of the interconnector.

"For us, it is extremely important that these stages are completed by the builder in a high quality and according to the documentation requirements. We meet the readiness of the Ministry of Land and Infrastructure Development for assistance in carrying out the remaining finishing activities in optimal terms and in a manner that fully complies with Bulgarian legislation. The dialogue continues and next week we will have a repeat meeting, after which we expect to hear concrete decisions and deadlines from the builder", said ICGB executive directors Teodora Georgieva and Georgios Satlas after the meeting.

According to them, the laying of the spare optical cable is at an advanced stage and is expected to be finalized and documented in January. The management of the ICGB also emphasized the importance of starting the anti-erosion measures along the route as soon as possible, so that in a mild winter the work would not stop and be completed sooner. At a subsequent meeting with the MRRD team, it will be discussed how exactly this should be implemented, so that the approach fully complies with the legislation and is applicable and effective in relation to the specific conditions in Bulgaria.

Minister Shishkov: From today we start the joint work on the completion of the second stage of the interconnector

There is some progress in each of the remaining stages of the construction of the Greece-Bulgaria Intersystem Gas Connection. Anti-erosion measures are the most important. They protect nature, but also the facility. Arch. Ivan Shishkov  also said this during the meeting.

After we commissioned only the first stage of the site and it is working, there are three more stages left. Today we agreed with the builder to develop a schedule for when and how they will be completed. He will be scheduled for an appointment next Thursday. At the meeting, we wanted to show that the state wants to finish it. When there is will from all sides and from the side of the state it is extremely strong, I think that the builders will be mobilized and will be able to finish the rest of the construction quickly enough. In order for construction to go well, it is necessary to have a clear plan for it, the minister also said.

A deeper analysis will be made of the anti-erosion measures planned for implementation. I would like a very clear schedule for them, as well as for the road that connects to the nearby village near Stara Zagora at the facility. There is a problem with the cadastre and the detailed development plan. It's gone off the track and we have to decide how to finish it. We agreed that next Thursday the contractor would submit a geodetic survey. Based on it, we will decide how to get out of the situation, the regional minister added.

The facility is operational, but construction is not complete. Everything that the state has started must be completed to the end, Minister Shikov stated categorically, as quoted by the press center of the Ministry of Regional Development and Development. From today, we are starting the second stage of the joint work, with which to finish it, he added.

As in the month of August we promised that we would complete the first stage and put the gas connection into operation, so now I expect in a few months, if possible, to complete the entire construction site. Together with the investor and the builder, we showed that when we all mobilize, we can finish it and everyone is happy with our joint work. Now we can afford to do it as climatically the weather allows.

ICGB Executive Director Teodora Georgieva thanked Minister Shishkov for the completion of the first stage of the site. She confirmed that at the upcoming meeting, the deadlines for the implementation of the stages remaining to be completed will be specified, and indicated that she does not expect them to be distant dates. Georgieva added that more details will have to be entered regarding the implementation of anti-erosion measures. We will ensure that they are implemented according to the technical project and are subject to the approval of the Basin Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Water, she said.

Gas transmission is not threatened due to the upcoming completion of the backup optical cable, said Arch. Shishkov. The regional minister noted that the facility functions without it at the moment, but it is embedded in the project because it is a matter of greater security. We want the whole project to be completed. Even the smallest details make sense, so the builder will fulfill them, he was emphatic.

Anti-erosion measures are taken in sections where the gas pipeline passes through rivers and where there is interference with nature to prevent erosion. We protect nature, but we also protect the facility itself, Minister Shishkov said in response to a question.

Measures include rehabilitation of rivers and strengthening of slopes. These activities are 151 kilometers in total, Teodora Georgieva added.

On behalf of the MRRD, the head of the minister's office, Yulia Ivkova, and the head of the DNSK, Delyana Panayotova, took part in the meeting.