BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 28. Since the start of commercial operations on 1 October 2022 and up to the end of October 2025, the cumulative transported quantities through the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) reach 39 854 049 MWh Greece to Bulgaria and 1 919 228 MWh in virtual reverse flow to Greece, the ICGB AD, the pipeline operator, told Trend.
Reportedly, for the period January–October 2025 alone, the quantities reached 8,486,142 MWh from Greece to Bulgaria and 153,062 MWh in reverse flow.
"The interconnector has established itself as the first route for diversified natural gas supplies to Bulgaria, providing over 50% of the country’s domestic consumption. The interconnector has a strong regional impact as a central component of the Vertical Gas Corridor - an initiative designed to support scalable, bidirectional gas flows from South to North, enhancing access to LNG and other diversified sources for countries across the region. The independent transmission system operator ICGB continues its active engagement with partners to enable the launch and implementation of Routes 2 and 3 which will further strengthen regional energy security and provide new opportunities for delivering gas to markets such as Moldova and Ukraine at a time of increased strategic importance. The newly introduced capacity products are a flexible market solution that reflects the changed energy security dynamic in the region," the company said.
ICGB Executive Officer Teodora Georgieva noted that the results of the past few months reflect the strength of the partnerships that stand behind the IGB pipeline.
"Our long-established cooperation with Azerbaijan and the stability provided by the long-term contract for Azeri gas continue to be fundamental for Bulgaria and the wider region. At the same time, the Vertical Gas Corridor and the IGB route are opening new opportunities for diversified supplies, including American LNG, which further enhances the resilience of regional markets”, she added.
The IGB gas pipeline connects with the Greek national gas transmission system (DESFA S.A.) and the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP AG) in the area of Komotini (Greece), and with the Bulgarian gas transmission system (Bulgartransgaz EAD) in the area of Stara Zagora.
The total length of the gas pipeline is 182 km, the diameter of the pipe - 32'' - and a design capacity of up to 3 billion m3/year in the direction Greece - Bulgaria. Depending on the market interest for larger capacity and the possibilities of the neighboring gas transmission systems, the capacity of IGB is designed with the option for increase up to 5 billion m3/year.