Two groups submit offers for gas pipeline between Bulgaria and Greece (updated)
02/04/2019 14:32
(Adds European Commission's 33 mln euro investment)
SOFIA, April 2 (Reuters) - Two groups, Greece's J & P AVAX
AVAr.AT and a consortium of two Bulgarian companies and
Italy's Bonatti, have submitted offers in a tender to design and
build a gas pipeline between Bulgaria and Greece, project
manager ICGB said on Tuesday.
Some 11 companies filed initial bids in the 145 million euro
($162.40 million) tender, which were shortlisted to five in
February. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2004LK
Bulgaria plans to start building the 182 km (113 mile)
pipeline in June and have it operational in 2020. It will
receive Azeri gas through the pipeline, thereby ending its
almost complete dependence on Russian supplies.
The 240 million euro ($271.82 million) pipeline will have an
annual capacity of 3 billion cubic metres.
The European Commission said on Tuesday it would invest 33
million euros of European Union funds in the project as part of
its cohesion policy.
"The pipeline is a European Project of Common Interest,
contributing to the objectives of the Energy Union," the
Commission said in a statement.
Sofia-based ICGB said it would now review and evaluate the
technical proposals, with a final decision expected next month.
"The project company and its shareholders have mobilised all
the resources to comply with the schedule for starting
construction, relying on the high quality of the technical
proposals of the participants and their established
professionalism," the ICGB said in a statement.
ICGB is 50 percent owned by Bulgaria's state-held BEH energy
holding company. The remaining shares are held by the Greek gas
company DEPA and Italy's Edison EDNn.MI .
($1 = 0.8929 euros)
(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; Editing by Louise Heavens and
Jan Harvey)
((angel.krasimirov@thomsonreuters.com; +359 888 695 510))