New transport capacities: Azerbaijani gas to reach Ukraine via TAP

The national energy regulators of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine have approved two new gas capacity products, Routes 2 and 3, aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and energy security.

Developed with the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (ICGB) as a key driver, the routes allow deliveries from diversified sources using existing infrastructure, Caliber.Az reports, citing the organisation.

These include liquefied natural gas (LNG) via the Alexandroupolis floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) and pipeline gas through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), with the ICGB interconnector forming a central link along the south–north corridor.

From 22 December, all three routes—Routes 1, 2 and 3—will be available for booking on the Regional Booking Platform (RBP). ICGB will apply a 46% discount on its standard monthly tariff to encourage use of the new capacity.

“Routes 2 and 3 are the result of coordinated management and technical work in close cooperation with operators from the countries along the Vertical Gas Corridor and the European Commission,” said ICGB executive officers George Satlas and Teodora Georgieva.

“ICGB has played a leading role in shaping and introducing the new products with a clear objective: to provide flexible, reliable and diversified access to gas for the region, and in particular to support Ukraine during a critical period.”

IGB pipeline connects with Greece’s national gas transmission system (DESFA S.A.) and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP AG) in the Komotini area, as well as with Bulgaria’s gas transmission system (Bulgartransgaz EAD) near Stara Zagora.

The pipeline has a total length of 182 km, a diameter of 32 inches, and a design capacity of up to 3 billion cubic metres per year in the Greece-to-Bulgaria direction. Depending on market demand and the capabilities of neighbouring gas transmission systems, the IGB’s capacity could be increased to 5 billion cubic metres per year.

By Aghakazim Guliyev