According to Reuters, the 182km pipeline will be a support for Bulgaria - a country that has struggled to ensure affordable gas supply since the end of April, when Russia's Gazprom cut off deliveries due to Sofia's refusal to pay in rubles.
Russia reduced gas supplies to Europe after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow over its military campaign in Ukraine, forcing EU countries to contend for alternative supplies amid rising prices.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the opening ceremony of the pipeline in Sofia on October 1: "The new pipeline is the game-changer for Bulgaria and Europe's energy security. That means freedom. Free and independent of Russian gas.
The opening ceremony was attended by leaders of Bulgaria, Greece, Azerbaijan, Romania, Serbia and North Macedonia.
In Bulgaria and across Europe, people are feeling the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But with projects like this, Europe will have enough gas for the winter," said von der Leyen.
The Interconnector Greece- bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul bul 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With an initial capacity of 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year and expected to increase to 5 billion cubic meters in the future, the IGB pipeline could supply non-Russian gas to neighboring Serbia, North Korea, Romania and further to Moldova and Ukraine.
The IGB pipeline will carry gas from the northern Greek city of Komotini to Stara Zagora in Bulgaria. The IGB is linked to another pipeline - part of the Southern Gas Corridor that carries gas from Azerbaijan to Europe.
On September 30, gas operators in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia proposed increasing gas from Azerbaijan via their networks to central Europe.
The $235 million pipeline is under the operation of a joint venture between Bulgaria's state-owned energy company BEH, Greece's DEPA gas company and Edison, Italy.
