Official start of the construction of the gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece

The gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece will play a key role for the whole region and Europe, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said at a ceremony in the village of Kirkovo, where together with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras he gave the symbolic start of the construction works of the gas interconnector link between the two countries.  

The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stressed the importance of the projects and emphasized the opportunities for connectivity between the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The two Heads of Government also noted the key importance of the gas interconnector as part of the common Balkan projects and pointed out the role of the construction and the roads, railways, ports and digital infrastructure for connectivity and stability in the Balkans.

The construction of Greece - Bulgaria interconnection gas pipeline aims to ensure diversification not only of the routes but also of the natural gas sources for Bulgaria and the region. As part of the development of the Southern Gas Corridor, through IGB Bulgaria its neighbouring countries will also have access to alternative supplies from the Caspian region as well as from existing or future liquefied gas terminals.

The gas pipeline between Bulgaria and Greece is 182 km long, 150 km in Bulgaria, connecting the Greek gas network in Komotini with the Bulgarian gas network in Stara Zagora. Its technical capacity is 3 to 5 billion cubic metres. The total cost of the project is EUR 220 million.