Bulgaria says to select IGB contractor by year-end

By  Trend

Bulgaria plans to choose an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor by late 2017 to build the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), through which Azerbaijani gas will be transported in future, Bulgarian Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov told Trend in Baku June 1.

IGB is a gas pipeline, which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) via which gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to the European markets.

Stankov noted that Bulgaria will do everything necessary to put the interconnector into operation until the end of 2019, to be ready when the first gas comes from Azerbaijan in 2020.

"We expect this interconnector to be built on time," he said, adding two gas contracts were signed by Bulgaria and Azerbaijan, under which 1 billion cubic meters of gas will be annually delivered to Bulgaria starting from 2020.

IGB will be a gate delivering Azerbaijani gas to the Southeastern Europe, according to the Bulgarian deputy energy minister.