Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB)

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Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB), also known as Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) Gas Pipeline, Stara-Zagora-Komotini Pipeline, is a gas pipeline running from Greece to Bulgaria with segments that are operating and proposed.

Location

Its 2 segments are in 2 countries: Bulgaria and Greece.

Table 1: Route details

Route	Segment	Start/end	Countries/areas
	Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB)	Start: Komotini, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace End: Stara Zagora	Greece, Bulgaria
	Capacity Expansion	Start: Komotini, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace End: Stara Zagora	Greece, Bulgaria

1 of 2 segments have a mapped route in the database.

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■ Operating

Project details

Table 2: Pipeline details

bcm/y = billion cubic meters per year; in = inches; km = kilometers

Segment	Status	Fuel	Capacity	Length	Diameter
Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB)	operating	gas	3 bcm/y	184 km	31.5 in
Capacity Expansion	proposed	gas	2 bcm/y	0 (expansion with no new pipe)	–

Table 3: Project timeline

FID = final investment decision, used by some developers to indicate a project will move forward

Segment	Proposal year	FID	Construction year	Start year
Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB)	–	(FID)	–	2022, 2025 (phase 2) (delayed)
Capacity Expansion	2023	–	2025	2026 (planned)

Table 4: Cost

Segment	Cost
Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB)	EUR 240 million (US$261.6 million)
Capacity Expansion	EUR 10.5 million (US$11.45 million)

Ownership

Table 5: Ownership

Segment	Owner	Parent
Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB)	IGI Poseidon SA (50%); Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD (50%)	Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD (50%); DEPA International Projects SA (25%); Edison SpA (25%)
Capacity Expansion	–	Samruk-Kazyna SWF JSC (100%)

Background

The IGB pipeline has been under development since 2009, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the governments of Greece and Bulgaria outlining the creation of a gas interconnection linking the two countries. The pipeline began operation in 2022.

Construction of the pipeline started in 2018 and was initially expected to be completed by 2020.

The 182 kilometer pipeline will deliver gas from Azerbaijan via the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline through Greece to Bulgaria and will maintain an initial capacity of 3 bcm per year, with potential to expand its capacity to 5 bcm per year. IGB pipeline will cost an estimated €160m ($170m), of which up to €45m ($48m) will be provided by the European Commission (EC) under the European Energy Program for Recovery. IGB will also be able to supply Bulgaria with gas sourced from Greek ports which are importing liquefied natural gas (LNG).

In July of 2019, the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) issued ICGB AD a license for an Independent Transmission System Operator (INGS). The license pertains to the Greek section of the IGB project and was issued for a period of fifty (50) years. It expires on June 27, 2069. It entitles ICGB AD to start the construction of the project, including the pipeline and auxiliary facilities and equipment on the territory of Greece. Obtaining this permit was the final step prior to construction.

In September of 2019, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced that funding for the Bulgaria-Greece interconnector had been fully secured.

70 of the 182 km of pipeline were reportedly placed as of May, 15 2020, according to a press release on the ICGB website. ICGB stated that "deadlines for the construction of the interconnector are not seriously affected despite the challenges that COVID-19 brings." The project was still under construction as of July 17, 2020. Bulgartransgaz stated in March 2020 that IGB was expected to run in operation by July 1, 2021. However, in its Ten Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP), European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSOG) stated the project was delayed and commissioning end date is 2025 due to "appeals against the tender procedures."

In January 2021 the Greek parliament formally ratified construction of the interconnector. Kostas Skrekas, Greece's environment and energy minister, told the parliament that the project is 52% built and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

In March of 2021, Bulgartransgaz stated in its 2021-2030 network development plan that the project's "Expected commissioning date" was in 2021. However, a May 2021 report from the Eastern Europe Natural Gas Partnership (EE-NGP) stated the project would be commissioned in 2025.

On July 9, 2021, ICGB AD stated "the interconnector will be put into commercial operation no later than July 1st, 2022."

In November 2021, Euractiv reported that the project was facing delays due to a shortage of construction materials from China, and that the Greek construction company AVAX would not be able to meet the announced deadline of the end of December 2021 to complete construction work. This would result in the deadline for putting the interconnector into operation on July 1, 2022 being missed. AVAX denied the reported problems. It was reported that by the beginning of December 2021 the pipeline was only 70% constructed. Delays on the Greek side were said to be most marked, including missing pipes along the route, and a lack of testing and reclamation.

In April 2022, a senior AVAX official said that construction of the pipeline had been completed in early April, work and testing at two metering stations and software installation were in the final stages. Against a backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, final permits were fast-tracked and approved, with construction completed on the 1st of July, 2022. The pipeline officially began operations in October, 2022.

The IGB 3to5 Expansion & H2upgrade is a proposed expansion of the pipeline, as well as a hydrogen-capable conversion. The project is featured in the H2inframap, which details a number of hydrogen-related projects in Europe.

Technical Details

In order to create an expanded maximum capacity of 5bcm, the project will also necessitate maintaining 57barg pressure at Komotini and 52barg outlet pressure at Stara Zagora. A 10MW compressor station will also be required to be installed at Haskovo, Bulgaria. The project also includes the installation of infrastructure including nine block valve stations, SCADA / control and telecommunications facilities, and two terminal scraper stations. Two gas metering stations at Komotini and Stara Zagora, and two off-take and automated gas regulation stations in Kardjali and Dimitrovgrad will also be developed.

Financing

The pipeline has been approved for inclusion on the European Commission's Projects of Common Interest list, meaning it can receive public funding from the EU. The project has received EU grants of €39 million from the European Regional Development Fund and €45 million from the European Energy Program for Recovery.

According to the European Commission, "Construction of a bi-directional gas interconnector between the high pressure natural gas systems of Greece and Bulgaria with a technical capacity of up to 3 BCM/year, capable to be increased to up to 5 BCM/year with the installation of a Compressor Station (CS). New onshore pipeline with a length of 185 km and a daily capacity of approximately 13.7 MCM/day. compressor station at Kipoi will be needed to ensure the supply with gas of the IGB from the DESFA system. The power of the CS is of approximately 12 MW. The metering station at Komotini will enable the Gas Transmission System of Greece to supply gas into the IGB pipeline."

In October 2019, the European Investment Bank (EIB) agreed to provide a €110 million loan for the pipeline's construction, estimated to cost €240 million overall.

Ownership

The project is being developed by the joint venture company ICGB, in which state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) and Greek IGI Poseidon hold equal shares. Greek public gas corporation DEPA and Italian energy group Edison own 50% each of IGI Poseidon.

Protest by workers

In August 2020 dozens of workers on the pipeline staged a protest in Haskovo, Bulgaria, saying they had not been paid in three months.

Expansion project

In 2023 the independent operator ICGB initiated a market analysis to determine the viability of a capacity expansion from 3 bcm/y to 5 bcm/y. The project was initially slated to start construction in March 2025 and be commissioned in 2026. In August 2025 they received the construction permit for the first phase of the capacity expansion project and were cleared to being looking for contractors to carry out the work.

Additional sources:

Articles and resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of gas pipelines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Gas Infrastructure Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.