March 26 (SeeNews) - Works on the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnection project are progressing according to schedule, unhampered by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, ICGB, the project company developing the gas link, said.
ICGB is in constant contact with the contractors carrying out works on the construction of the interconnector, promoting the implementation of all measures for protection of the health and safety of the teams working on-site, the project company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Last month, Bulgaria's energy ministry said that Greece's Corinth Pipeworks has completed the production of the first 62 kilometres of line pipes for the project. The first production lot is expected to be delivered in full in March, which will provide the gas link construction company with all necessary types and sizes of pipes, the ministry said at the time.
ICGB signed contracts for the supply of pipes and construction of the interconnector with Corinth Pipeworks Industry and J&P-Avax, respectively, last year. The construction of a 123-km section of the interconnector on Bulgarian soil will begin in 2020, the energy ministry said at the time.
The pipeline, estimated to cost 220 million euro ($240.7 million), will connect the Greek gas transmission system in the area of Komotini to the Bulgarian gas transmission system in the area of Stara Zagora. The planned length of the pipeline is 182 km and the projected capacity is up to 3 billion cu m per year in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria.
As of March 13, Bulgaria is in a state of emergency over the outbreak of the COVID-19.
($ = 0.913957 euro)