Every European country should begin working on new infrastructures to use hydrogen and to integrate the national grids into a regional energy structure, said Teodora Georgieva, Executive Officer of Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (ICGB).
”Hydrogen is definitely something that we should take care of from now on because (…) it is the future. What really matters here is regional integration (of the energy systems). These days it happens to be much clearer that without integration among the countries, there is no reliability, no security, and no sustainability”, she said, at the conference “Regional Approach Sofia”, organized by Energynomics.
In the summer of 2022, ICGB completed the transportation system construction and obtained the permits and licenses to operate in Bulgaria and Greece. The IGB pipeline is being assessed for its potential to transport hydrogen, which will enable the flow of low-carbon gases in the region. Initial estimates suggest that blends of up to 2% hydrogen are acceptable for the system, but further assessment is needed to determine the full potential of hydrogen blending.
The project is 132 kilometers long, out of which 151 are on Bulgaria soil and 31 in Greece. It is meant to connect both the southern gas corridor (Caspian, South Caucasus, TANAP, TEP) and the Greek gas system operated by DESFA.
Starting October 2022, Bulgaria receives around 1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas from Azerbaijan and has the potential to triple these volumes up to 3 bcm, the equivalent of the country’s annual consumption. Also, the LNG terminals, especially the ones from Luxembourg, create an important synergy with IGB.
DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION OF TEODORA GEORGIEVA
The Azeri gas allows Bulgaria to have the lowest price among the countries in Europe, according to Georgieva.
In February, Romania’s Romgaz signed a deal with Azerbaijan to purchase 1 bcm of natural gas and also Hungary is looking at a long-term contract to receive 2 bcm of natural gas per year from Azerbaijan.
The conference “Regional Approach Sofia” was organized by Energynomics with the support of our partners: Eaton Electric, Finder, Kawasaki Gas Turbine Europe.