ICGB AD enters a key phase in its development launching the procedures for the award of public procurement necessary for the start of the construction in 2018.

The Call for tender for the “Selection of Owner’s Engineer for the Construction of the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria” has been sent for publication to the Registry of Public Procurement of Bulgaria’s Public Procurement Agency on 08.11.2017. The procedure is also announced in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The tendering program is fully aligned with scheduling for works and preparations are on track for construction to start by mid-2018. By the end of the year ICGB AD will be issuing invitations to Tender for the supply of line pipes and a public procurement for the award of the detailed engineering, procurement and construction (EPC). ICGB’s tenders, fully compliant with EU procurement rules, are transparent and competitive, ensuring that bidders receive, objective and non-discriminatory treatment.

The Owner’s Engineer will provide crucial assistance to ICGB AD for the implementation of the IGB Project during the construction phase through to interconnector’s commissioning, supporting the management of the major Contracts. The estimated value of the public procurement is set as a total price of 8.45 mln. EUR excluding VAT.

The services shall be implemented according to the schedule for the Project’s realization in compliance with a contractual strategy involving the award of two main contracts - a contract for the supply of line pipes and a contract for EPC, the supply of the remaining equipment, construction and installation, training of personnel and entering into operation of the IGB pipeline.

These activities will be implemented in two phases –during the tendering phase of the Project and subsequently during the construction phase.
The Contracting Entity ICGB AD will grant unlimited, complete, free and direct electronic access to the documentation for the public procurement from the date of publication in the Official Journal of the European Union in accordance with art. 32, para 1, item 1 of Bulgaria’s Public Procurement Act (PPA). The decision and the contract notice are published at the buyer’s profile of the Contracting Entity and at the Public Procurement Agency’s Registry of Public Procurement pursuant to Article 24, Para 1, Item 1 of the Rules for Implementing the Public Procurement Act.
The listed above documents will be available at web address: http://www.icgb.eu/buyers-profile/public-procurement-procedures/ – at the Buyer’s profile.

ICGB AD welcomes all potential participants and states that the company's priority is to ensure a fair, objective and transparent procedure and create conditions for competitive selection.

The Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria envisages the construction of a natural gas pipeline which will directly connect the national gas transmission systems of the Republic of Greece and the Republic of Bulgaria.

The Project initially obtained the support of the energy ministries of the Republic of Greece and the Republic of Bulgaria in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2009. Subsequently the project was declared a project of national importance and a ‘national site’ pursuant to decisions of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria No: 615/14.07.2009, No: 452/07.06.2012, as well as pursuant to Act 4001/2011 of the legislation of the Republic of Greece.

Tthe IGB project is also supported by EU which provides invaluable political and financial support for its successful implementation. The project has been allocated EUR 45 million from the European Energy Program for Recovery, pursuant to the European Commission’s decision C (2010) 5813, amended by decision C(2012) 6405.

The IGB is an EU Project of Common interest as well as a main priority project of the EU’s CESEC initiative for gas interconnectivity in Central and Southern Europe. In this context, the European Investment Bank and other international credit institutions have expressed an active interest in financing the Project, and instruments including the new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) may also be used. The Bulgarian government in turn has included in the state budget for 2017 access to an increased amount of state financial guarantee when negotiating loan facilities for the project of up to EUR 110 million.

Date 10/11/2017