Edison: the Greece-Bulgaria interconnection pipeline (IGB) starts commercial operations to contribute to Europe’s energy diversification

The infrastructure has a capacity for three billion cubic meters of gas, equal to Bulgaria's entire domestic demand. The commissioning of the new pipeline contributes to strengthening the “Southern Corridor” along which natural gas flows, increasing significantly the security of supply and the competition in the region.

Milan, 1 October 2022 – Edison announces the start of the commercial operations of the Greece-Bulgaria interconnection pipeline (IGB). The infrastructure, developed by IGI-Poseidon and Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH), was inaugurated in Sofia in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Bulgarian Prime Minister Galab Donev, Energy Minister Rossen Hristov and his Greek counterpart Kostas Skrekas.

The pipeline has a capacity for three billion cubic meters of gas, equal to Bulgaria's entire domestic demand. Considering the developments of the market, its capacity can be increased to approximately five billion cubic meters of natural gas. Its entry into operation enables the countries of South East Europe to access new supply routes, which is strategic in terms of security and diversification, and provides access to alternative sources to Russian supplies. Together with the Poseidon and Eastmed projects, this pipeline is part of an infrastructure system promoted by IGI Poseidon (a 50:50 joint venture by Edison and Depa) that contributes to the expansion of the “Southern Corridor” of natural gas and to the diversification of routes and sources of supply for Europe.

The IGB pipeline is 182 km long (of which 31 km in Greece and 151 km in Bulgaria), and runs vertically from South to North between Komotini (where it connects to the TAP pipeline) and Stara Zagora in Bulgaria, interconnecting the Greek natural gas system with the Bulgarian one. The IGB project is part of the European Commission’s Projects of Common Interest (PCI) and is included in the list of priority projects for Central and South Eastern Europe Gas Connectivity (CESEC). It benefited, inter alia, of a 110 million euro loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The infrastructure is operated by ICGB as the Independent Transmission Operator (ITO), and its shareholders are BEH and IGI-Poseidon, with a 50% investment each (Edison consequently indirectly holds 25% thereof).