(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. The gas
interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), which envisages
transportation of Azerbaijani gas, has been issued a Permit for Use
on the territory of Bulgaria, the ICGB AD told Trend.
The gas pipeline is scheduled to start commercial operations on
October 1st, the first day of the new gas year and the start of the
heating season.
“After a two-day session of the acceptance commission for Act 16
convened by the Bulgarian National Building Control Directorate,
the document was issued at the end of the day on Tuesday, giving
grounds to issue a Permit for Use. This is the last administrative
step necessary for the legal introduction of the interconnector
into operation on the territory of Bulgaria. The document certifies
that the facility is fit for commissioning and allows the start of
commercial activity from October 1st. A similar document is
expected to be issued by the Greek side later today,” said the
company.
The Permit was presented to the Executive Officers of ICGB,
Teodora Georgieva and Georgios Satlas, by the Bulgarian Minister of
Regional Development and Public Works, Arch. Ivan Shishkov.
'This is an extremely important day not only for the project and
for ICGB as a transmission operator, but also for the end consumers
in Greece and Bulgaria. This document allows us to start commercial
activities right on time for the new heating season, which was the
top priority of all parties involved in the implementation of the
interconnector,' said Georgieva and Satlas.
They emphasized that the IGB gas pipeline is a completely new
route for secure natural gas supplies, which will ensure
diversification of gas sources and will increase the competition on
the market. 'This will have a direct effect on both business and
consumers,' said the Executive Officers of the second independent
transmission operator in Bulgaria.
ICGB coordinated in advance with 27 institutions all necessary
opinions, documents and permits in order to optimize the
implementation of the procedure for issuing Act 16. By the
commercial launch of the facility on October 1st, the Bulgarian
energy regulator EWRC must reconfirm the already issued license of
the company as a transmission operator, as well as ICGB's Network
and Tariff Code. This is expected to happen on Friday.
The IGB is of key importance for increasing the security of
supply and for ensuring the diversification of natural gas sources
for Bulgaria and the region of Southeast Europe. The project
connects Bulgaria directly to the Southern Gas Corridor and will
allow secure supplies from various sources to a number of countries
in Central and Southeastern Europe, including Moldova and
Ukraine.
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