The ICGB conducts annual capacity tenders for the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector

The independent transmission operator ICGB will hold annual capacity tenders for the gas connection between Greece and Bulgaria on July 1st.

Quantities for five consecutive gas years will be offered, and the capacity varies for the different interconnection points – respectively with the networks of the Bulgarian operator Bulgartransgaz, the Greek DEFSA and the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP).

For the upcoming gas year 2024/2025, ICGB will offer to competitive tenders the free capacity of the two points in Greece, amounting to 1,161,784,139 nm3/year. or 37,333,058 kWh/d/year. Free capacity in the amount of 1,027,334,020 nm3/year will be offered for the interconnection point in Bulgaria. or 33,012,605 kWh/day/year.

Traders will be able to pre-reserve capacity for the transfer of quantities that will arrive from the LNG terminal at the Greek city of Alexandroupolis once it is put into commercial operation

The procedures will be held on two independent trading platforms – RBP and PRISMA. Less than two years after the start of commercial operation, the interconnector already has over 40 registered users who can participate in the upcoming auctions.

IGB has a total capacity of 3 billion cubic meters per year, with nearly 1 billion reserved under a 25-year Azeri gas contract. The gas pipeline contributes to securing over 50% of Bulgaria's domestic natural gas consumption in the winter months and reaches up to 80% in the summer season.

Currently, the operator company ICGB is conducting a procedure to study the market interest in increasing the total capacity to 5 billion cubic meters per year. This will allow the transfer of larger quantities of natural gas, further securing the country's domestic consumption and strengthening Bulgaria's role in transit to third countries. The binding phase of the process will take place after the annual tenders, with the deadline for submission of registration documents ending today - June 24. All interested parties can fill out requests for participation on the operator's website https://www.icgb.eu/. "We encourage all interested parties to apply, as this is a key step for the region's energy independence," noted ICGB Executive Directors George Satlas and Teodora Georgieva.