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ICGB received construction permit on Bulgarian territory

ICGB AD, the project company developing the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), has received a construction permit on Bulgarian territory. 

On September 12th 2017 the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works issued the construction permit for the interconnector on Bulgarian territory for the municipalities Stara Zagora, Radnevo and Opan, Region Stara Zagora, the municipalities Dimitrovgrad and Haskovo, region Haskovo and the municipalities Djebel, Kurdzhali, Momchilgrad and Kirkovo, Region Kurdzhali. 

The issuance of the construction permit includes the establishment of the property rights for approx. 3800 plots and expropriation of plots for the 151-km route of the pipeline on Bulgarian territory.  This complicated and difficult process includes activities that have been performed based on new procedural provision for the first time in Bulgaria, which makes the achieved result even more significant.

„The project company ICGB managed to meet the terms for issuance of the construction permit, as originally engaged before the shareholders according to the Road map of the Project. This is a key and significant milestone in the project development which demonstrates readiness to start the construction after successful completion of the tender procedures”, said Teodora Georgieva, Executive officer from Bulgarian side of the project company ICGB.
“The construction of the pipeline is expected to start in mid-2018 and meets the deadline set in the Road map of ICGB. The construction permit is an important milestone and I would like to thank for the significant contribution of the ICGB team for their professionalism, effort and dedication that inevitably led to a successful result“, Georgieva underlined.  

“The process for issuance of the Construction permit in Bulgaria is much more complicated compared to Greece - not only because 83% of the route of the pipeline is on Bulgarian territory, but also due to the long administrative procedures related to the property right acquisition and establishment of easement rights”, explained Konstantinos Karayannakos, the Executive officer from Greek side.

“However, the ICGB team completed the procedure effectively and the construction permit in Bulgaria is already obtained, as the deadline before the shareholders is fully respected. This important milestone is the basis for the tender procedures and after the issuance of the exemption decision the project company will obtain the construction permit on Greek territory”, Karayannakos assured.

Pursuant to the Greek legislation the Construction permit for the Greek territory can be received once the pipeline obtains a license for a transmission system operator, which will happen after the decision for exemption from the rules for tariff, ownership and access to third parties pursuant to Article 36 from Directive 2009/73/EC is taken, expected to be adopted by the regulatory authorities of both countries in October this year, and by EU - in the beginning of 2018.

IGB Project

Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria is co-financed by the European Union's
European Energy Programme for Recovery programme.

The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author.
The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Co-financed by the Europen Union, Europen Energy Programme for Recovery  European Regional Development Fund Operational Program Innovation and Competitiveness

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