ICGB picks Bulgarian firm for detailed design of GMS Stara Zagora

The transmission system operator plans to upgrade the gas metering station in south-central Bulgaria in order to increase its annual capacity from the current 3 billion to 5 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually, it said in a press release on Monday, without disclosing the name of the selected company.

The design phase lays the groundwork for the expansion's subsequent stages, including the procurement of long lead items and the start of construction.

The pipeline operator expects to reach the expanded capacity by the last quarter of 2025 at the Stara Zagora interconnection point and by the final quarter of 2026 at the Komotini interconnection point in Greece.

ICGB also said it has jointly published with the Bulgarian transmission system operator Bulgartransgaz a draft project proposal for public consultation on the Stara Zagora entry-exit point, with interested parties able to participate by March 4. A similar proposal with the Greek natural gas transmission system operator DESFA will also be published.

Last November, ICGB said it plans to conduct the binding phase of market testing in mid-2024 for the planned capacity expansion from 3 bcm to 5 bcm per year. Bulgartransgaz then said it would submit alongside its peers from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary individual project proposals for capacity expansion of the Vertical Gas Corridor for public discussion in January 2024.

The 182-kilometre Greece-Bulgaria natural gas pipeline connects Bulgaria to the Southern Gas Corridor and is part of the Vertical Gas Corridor.