BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 9
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
One of the two most complex stages in the construction of interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) has just been successfully completed – the HDD crossing of the pipeline under Maritsa River near Dimitrovgrad, Trend reports with reference to the ICGB AD.
"This was one of the biggest technical challenges in the project, primarily due to the complex geology under the river bed. The whole process took a total of 28 days, and the final phase - pulling the entire pipeline section - took more than 10 hours of non-stop work," Georgieva noted. The length of the section is 422 m, and the crossing is done by the method of horizontal directional drilling (HDD). The quality control is carried out on site by representatives of ICGB, the EPC contractor, the owner’s engineer and the specialized subcontractor tasked with the drilling. A number of tests are carried out and a significant amount of QA/QC documentation is drafted before ICGB can accept the job as successfully completed. When finished at the Maritza River section, the field teams will start work on the crossing under Studen Kladenets Dam with a total length of 1420 m,” said the Executive Officer of the project company ICGB Teodora Georgieva.
According to her, IGB’s construction activities are progressing at a stable pace and the infrastructure is expected to be ready by the end of 2021. Over 100 km of the pipeline are ready and lowered in the trench, with less than 25 km remaining to be welded.
IGB will connect the Greek gas transmission system of DESFA and TAP near Komotini with the Bulgarian gas transmission system near Stara Zagora. The interconnector is part of the Vertical Gas Corridor - Greece - Bulgaria - Romania - Hungary, providing access to natural gas from the Southern Gas Corridor and LNG to Southeast and Central Europe, as well as to Ukraine. The project will contribute to the diversification of sources and to the increased security of natural gas supplies for both Bulgaria and the region. The gas interconnector with Greece also provides access to the gas transmission network for Bulgarian municipalities and regions that have not yet had the option of connectivity. The project is among the main priorities in the energy sector of the national governments of Greece and Bulgaria and receives strong support from the EC, the EIB and foreign partners such as the United States and Azerbaijan. The interconnector will be put into commercial operation no later than July 1st, 2022.
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