ICGB has signed an interconnection agreement with DESFA

ICGB has signed an interconnection agreement with the Greek national gas transmission system operator DESFA at the interconnection point (IP) located in Komotini, Greece.

The agreement is in sync with all applicable regulatory requirements and outlines a comprehensive set of terms and procedures that will govern all operations at the point. The two transmission operators are committed to ensuring secure, safe and efficient commercial operation of the new interconnection point. In the monthly free capacity auction for the month of October, ICGB has offered interested bidders a capacity of 48,044,459 kwh/day for the Komotini point.

"This is a key step to ensure that the IGB pipeline can accommodate the transportation of natural gas volumes that will become available to the market after the commercial launch of the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal. The two infrastructures are in great synergy and we expect that the commissioning of the LNG terminal will positively affect the market interest in the existing and planned capacity of the interconnector," said ICGB Executive Directors Teodora Georgieva and George Satlas. The connection between the two systems has already been successfully tested with real volumes of natural gas to ensure trouble-free operation from October 1st.

The IGB gas pipeline is already connected to the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP) and to the gas transmission system of Bulgartransgaz. The new interconnection agreement will allow interested parties with spare capacity at the LNG terminal to transport gas along the IGB, thus establishing a new, reliable natural gas supply route for South-Eastern and Central Europe. The ICGB plans to commission the IP Komotini DESFA/ICGB from 1 October 2024, which is also subject to the relevant confirmations from the associated gas transmission operators.

The current capacity of the interconnector is 3 billion cubic meters per year with the potential to reach 5 billion cubic meters per year. Independent gas transmission operator ICGB is already committed to expanding capacity as a strategic step towards securing access to natural gas supplies from diversified sources. It is also a key project within the Vertical Gas Corridor, uniting transmission operators from the region, including from Moldova and Ukraine.