After receiving positive feedback from the European Commission, the national energy regulators of Greece and Bulgaria - RAE and EWRC - came out with a final joint decision for certification on 1 July 2022. Thus, the certification procedure is considered completed, making ICGB the second independent transmission operator in Bulgaria.
The decision of RAE and EWRC provides, from a regulatory point of view, the possibility of putting the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria into commercial operation after July 1, 2022. This is a new route for importing gas into Bulgaria, which helps directly to diversification, security of supply and competitive prices for Bulgarian consumers.
The gas connection is of strategic importance, as it will allow connecting the gas transmission systems of Bulgaria and Greece and will ensure diversification of the sources and routes of gas supplies for our country and for South-Eastern Europe.