Pursuant to Article 4, Paragraph 2 of the Regulation on the conditions and procedures for carrying out environmental impact assessment (the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation, State Gazette no. 25/2003, as amended and supplemented)

“ICGB” AD

1000 Sofia, 23 Georgе Washington Street,  

hereby ANNOUNCES

its investment proposal for

Reconstruction and expansion of the Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria, sub-project Gas Metering Station of Stara Zagora

The Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB) was implemented by ICGB AD and it transmits natural gas from Komotini–Greece to Stara Zagora– Bulgaria. It connects the national gas transmission systems of the two countries.

IGB is a reverse flow gas transmission pipeline that is able to provide gas from Greece towards Bulgaria as well as in the reversed direction.

The total length of the gas pipeline is about 182 km, of which 151 km are within the territory of Bulgaria. The facility passes through the regions of Haskovo, Kardzhali and Stara Zagora, affecting the territory of 9 municipalities in total on Bulgarian territory. On Greek territory, the gas pipeline passes through the municipality of Komotini.

The existing technical capacity for natural gas transmission of IGB is up to 3 billion cubic meters per year. This is contingent on the capacity of the gas metering stations, GMS Stara Zagora and GMS Komotini, which are designed and constructed with an annual capacity of 3 billion cubic meters per year.

The existing capacity of IGB pipeline's linear part has been designed and constructed to be able to transmit gas with capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year where appropriate conditions are provided, i.e. the required pressure and quantity of gas at GMS Komotini and reconstruction of GMS Stara Zagora.

By implementing the expansion of the gas transmission network in the Republic of Greece and the construction of a liquefied gas regasification terminal in the vicinity of the town of Alexandroupolis, appropriate conditions have been made available (pressure and quantities of natural gas), and there are preconditions for natural gas transmission capacity increase on the IGB gas pipeline with a capacity of up to 5 billion cubic meters per year.

This investment proposal provides for reconstruction and expansion of Gas Metering Station (GMS) of Stara Zagora that aims to increase the natural gas transmission technical capacity of GMS Stara Zagora from 3 billion cubic meters per year to 5 billion cubic meters per year.

In order to increase the technical capacity, the undermentioned shall be installed on the site of GMS Stara Zagora:

- New filter separator;

- New heater;

- New regulating line;

- New measuring line.

The implementation of the investment proposal shall take place on the existing site of GMS Stara Zagora, without affecting and making use of new territories.

INFORMATION AS PER ARTICLE 4, PARAGRAPH 3 OF THE REGULATION ON THE CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR CARRYING OUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT