Greek gas grid eyes 1-billion euro hydrogen pipeline - REUTERS

July 13, 20236:37 PM GMT+3

ATHENS, July 13 (Reuters) - Greek gas grid operator DESFA wants to build a 1 billion euro ($1.12 billion) hydrogen pipeline that will connect Greece to Bulgaria, as part of a future European southeastern corridor, it said on Thursday.

The scheme, jointly proposed with Bulgaria, has passed an initial technical assessment by the European Commission, making it eligible for inclusion in a European list of projects of common interest, DESFA said in a presentation released on Thursday.

This puts "Greece, Spain and Italy at the same level with respect to the potential for the future role that these Mediterranean countries will play in providing infrastructure for hydrogen," DESFA Chief Executive Maria Rita Galli told a news conference.

Israel Approves Natural Gas Pipeline Link to Europe - BLOOMBERG

July 19, 2020, 2:20 PM GMT+3Alisa Odenheimer

Israel’s cabinet approved a multinational accord to lay a pipeline that will facilitate the export to Europe of natural gas found in Israeli and Cypriot waters.

The $6 billion plan, formulated by the energy ministers of Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy, is for a 1,900-kilometer (1,181 miles) corridor that will link known and yet-to-be-discovered gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean basin with European markets through Cyprus, Greece and Italy. A survey of the route is currently being performed, with the aim of reaching a final investment decision within two years and completing the project by 2025.

The project has created friction with Turkey, which says it deprives Turkish Cypriots living in a breakaway state in northern Cyprus of proceeds from the island’s natural resources (Note: The north of Cyprus, always 100% or majority Christian, was 90% Christian before the Turkish invasion of 1974, now 100% Muslim also amid rampant colonization from mainland Turkey).

Italy regulator grants TAP AG more time for first gas delivery, company confirms Q4 deadline - PLATTS

03 Jul 2020 | 12:46 UTC London

Silvia Favasuli; Editor: Jonathan Fox

• TAP AG says extension requested in case of delay due to COVID-19
• New deadline for first gas delivery now December 2021
• But confirms commitment to deliver first gas in Q4 2020

London — The developer of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, TAP AG, confirmed late July 2 its commitment to deliver first Azerbaijani gas into Italy in the fourth quarter of this year, despite having asked and obtained from Italy's regulator the possibility of postponing first delivery of gas until December 2021.

"The TAP project is more than 96% complete and reconfirms the target of transporting first gas to Europe within 2020," Vugar Veysalov, TAP head of external affairs, told S&P Global Platts late July 2.

Greece's Corinth produces 62km of line pipes for Greece-Bulgaria gas link - SEENEWS

Feb 17, 2020 14:13 EEST
Mario Tanev

SOFIA (Bulgaria), February 17 (SeeNews) - Greece's Corinth Pipeworks has completed the production of the first 62 kilometres of line pipes for the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector project - ICGB, Bulgaria's energy ministry said.

Pipes have been loaded on six trains, three of which are already in Bulgaria, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

The first production lot is expected to be delivered in full in March, which will provide the gas link construction company with all necessary types and sizes of pipelines.

ICGB, the project company developing the gas link, signed contracts for the supply of pipes and construction of the interconnector with Corinth Pipeworks Industry and J&P-Avax, respectively, last year. The construction of the 123-km section of the interconnector on Bulgarian soil will begin in 2020, the energy ministry said at the time.

The pipeline, which has a total estimated cost of 220 million euro ($242.7 million), will connect the Greek gas transmission system in the area of Komotini to the Bulgarian gas transmission system in the area of Stara Zagora. The planned length of the pipeline is 182 km and the projected capacity will be up to 3 billion cu m per year in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria.

TAP pipeline completed; trial op starts soon - KATHIMERINI

24.11.2019 : 13:04

The Greek section of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) transporting natural gas from Azerbaijan to Greece, Albania, Italy and points beyond in western Europe is ready and will begin trial operations in early December.

During this so-called commissioning phase, small volumes of natural gas will go through the pipeline to ensure commercial use is safe.

The pipeline has already been tested for structural flaws by pumping water under pressure through it.

The commissioning phase will last several months, but commercial use will begin in 2020.

The total length of the pipeline from the Greek-Turkish border to Italy through Albania and the Adriatic Sea is 878 kilometers (545 miles).

ICGB signs contract with owner's engineer for Greece-Bulgaria gas link - SEE NEWS

Jun 10, 2019 11:46 EEST
Mario Tanev

SOFIA (Bulgaria), June 10 (SeeNews) - ICGB, the company developing the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria project, said that it has signed a 5.67 million euro ($6.41 million) contract with the TIBEI consortium, which won the tender for selecting an owner's engineer for the project.

The contract was signed on May 20, according to a notice by the ICGB, published on Friday.

The TIBEI consortium comprises Belgium's Tractebel Engineering S.A, Italy's Tractebel Engineering SRL, Austria's Intber GmbH and Bulgarian companies Ipsilon Consult and Bulgaria Engineering.

"The commitment involves assisting the Contracting Entity in the implementation of the project during the construction phase until the pipeline enters into operation and management of all the main contracts related to the project - including the contract for the supply of line pipes and the contract for the award of design, procurement and construction," ICGB has said previously.

Israel extends deadline for bids in second gas license round to mid-July - PLATTS

07 Jun 2019 | 10:40 UTC Author: Stuart Elliott, Editor: Dan Lalor 

London — Israel has extended by a month to mid-July the deadline for bids in its second international gas licensing round due to the number of requests for documentation from interested parties.

The round is offering licenses for 19 blocks within five zones as Israel looks to move forward with upstream developments to help feed an offshore gas pipeline to southern Europe.

"Due to the number of requests received from companies that purchased the documents of the competitive process, they are allowed another month to prepare for submission," the energy ministry said.

The round was launched in November by energy minister Yuval Steinitz who said he hoped to attract new international energy companies to the country's already proven offshore.

Any company holding over 20% of an existing production license will not be able to participate in the current bid round following criticism of work offshore Israel to date, which has been dominated by a handful of companies, including the US's Noble Energy and Israeli explorers Delek and Ratio.

Each of the 19 blocks measure up to 400 square km and each zone, consisting of multiple blocks, is as large as 1,600 sq km.

The zones are located in the southern extent of Israel's economic waters, an area which has been previously licensed in part and had previous seismic research and limited exploration activity.

Natural gas pipeline to Jerusalem completed - GLOBES

21 Mar, 2019 10:36
Daniel Schmil

The 18-inch-diameter, 34-kilometer-long pipeline cost NIS 290 million to build.

Israel Natural Gas Lines Company inaugurated the natural gas pipeline to Jerusalem in a ceremony attended by Minister of National Infrastructures, Energy, and Water Resources Yuval Steinitz and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion. The 18-inch-diameter, 34-kilometer-long pipeline cost NIS 290 million to build.

The pipeline was built in two parts. The western part starts at the Yesodot block valve station near the Soreq Interchange on the Cross Israel Highway. The other part begins at the Mesilot Zion station next to Sha'ar Hagai and ends at the pressure-reducing station at Beit Zayit. The pressure reducing facility itself has not yet been completed, and gas can flow only to enterprises and consumers in the Jerusalem area after it is completed, through the Rotem distribution company. Connection of the first consumers to gas is scheduled for 2020.

How Greece Will Benefit from East Med Gas Pipeline - GREEK REPORTER

Jan 1, 2019
Philip Chrysopoulos

Greece will definitely benefit from the recent agreement with Israel and Cyprus for the construction of the East Med gas pipeline, according to a report in the German financial newspaper Handelsblatt.

The proposed pipeline will transport natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe. The cooperative agreement was recently signed by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades.

Talks between the three nations on the issue began in 2015 and have progressed to a solid alliance, according to Handelsblatt. The three Mediterranean countries aim to intensify their cooperation and make it permanent with the establishment of a joint secretariat based in Cyprus.

The newspaper notes that the enormous reserves of natural gas believed to be under the eastern Mediterranean seabed could contribute substantially to the energy supply of the whole of Western Europe.

EastMed gas pipeline must overcome major barriers - GLOBES

27 Nov, 2018 12:37

Gabriel Mitchell

Governments may be enthusiastic about the idea of an underwater pipeline linking Israel to Europe, but it is unclear how the financial and engineering challenges can be met.

Israel's Minister of National infrastructures Energy and Water Resources Yuval Steinitz has announced that the governments of Israel, Greece, Cyprus, and Italy have reached an agreement to build a pipeline that would transport Israeli natural gas to the European market. Diplomatic cooperation is a necessary component to realizing large-scale, multinational energy projects, but there is a point in every process where politicians need to step aside and make room for the entrepreneurs, corporations, and engineers who will determine the commercial and technical feasibility of this vision.

Israel, Cyprus, and Greece have demonstrated an enduring interest in collaborating on an ambitious undersea pipeline that would deliver Israeli and Cypriot gas to Europe. Since 2011, heads of state from these three East Mediterranean states have met on a regular basis and signed MOUs pledging future energy cooperation (in addition to other areas), if and when the climate is right. Italy's deepening participation in these dialogues only adds to the general sense of enthusiasm surrounding the appropriately named "EastMed pipeline".

Neither consensus between multiple governments nor the European Union's commitment of $100 million in a feasibility study - a number that sounds significant, but in comparison to the estimated $7 billion pipeline costs, is a drop in the ocean - promises that this vision will become reality. After all, the average Israeli family invests a larger percentage as a down payment for an apartment.

Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy agree on $7b. East Med gas pipeline to Europe - THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

24 November 2018, 10:03 pm

Greece, Italy, and Cyprus have reached an agreement with Israel to lay a pipeline connecting the Jewish state’s gas reserves to the three countries, in a major project estimated at costing over $7 billion that will supply gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, as the continent seeks to diversify its energy supply.

According to Hadashot TV, the European Union agreed to invest $100 million in a feasibility study for the project before the agreement was reached over the laying of the longest and deepest underwater gas pipeline in the world.

As part of the agreement, Israel and Cyprus will be granted preference over other countries in exporting gas to the European market, according to the report.

The EastMed Pipeline Project is to start about 170 kilometers (105 miles) off Cyprus’s southern coast and stretch for 2,200 kilometers (1,350 miles) to reach Otranto, Italy, via Crete and the Greek mainland.

The pipeline will have the capacity to carry up to 20 billion cubic meters (706 billion cubic feet) of gas yearly. Europe’s gas import needs are projected to increase by 100 billion cubic meters (3.5 billion cubic feet) annually by 2030.

Work on the project is expected to begin within a few months, and to conclude within five years, Hadashot TV reported.

EastMed pipeline to be ready in 2025, if all goes well - IBNA

23 November 2018, 11:09

Nefeli Tzanetakou

According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, final decisions on the EastMed pipeline will be made in 2019, once a study on the project’s commercial feasibility is complete, while Israel, Cyprus and Greece are expected to sign an intergovernmental agreement in the upcoming period.

If, according to the study, gas demand in Europe and energy market forecasts justify the need to complete the project, in this case the 2,000-kilometer underwater pipeline – worth an estimated 6.75 billion dollars – we be ready for operation in 2025.

The political feasibility of the project is undoubtable, as the East Med pipeline will connect – at all levels - the Eastern Mediterranean with Europe.

Egypt, Greece, Cyprus FMs hold talks in Cairo - EGYPT INDEPENDENT / AL-MASRY AL-YOUM

September 15, 2018 // 12:44 pm

Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Foreign Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias arrived in Cairo on Friday afternoon to meet Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry for three-way talks.

Wafa–Mellitah gas pipeline fire in Libya causes no significant damage: NOC - OIL REVIEW MIDDLE EAST

Sunday, 26 August 2018 06:00

Fire outbreak next to a station on Libya’s Wafa-Mellitah gas pipeline was extinguished without causing significant damage, said Libya’s National Oil Corp (NOC) in a statement.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the arson was carried out with rocket-propelled grenades, gasoline and burnt car tyres found at the scene,” stated NOC.

Industrial Security Departments at the NOC and Mellitah complex closely worked with the Petroleum Facilities Guard and relevant authorities to investigate the incident and identify its perpetrators.

First Gas Deliveries to Turkey Launched Via TANAP Pipeline - SPUTNIK NEWS

30.JUNE.2018, 14:24 

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Azerbaijan has started first gas deliveries to Turkey via the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), Southern Gas Corridor CJSC General Director Afgan Isayev said in a statement.

"The SGC project has been financially supported by the leading international financial institutions, and Phase-0 under TANAP project, which relates to the works required for the first commercial gas deliveries to Turkey, has already been completed. First commercial gas deliveries to Turkey has commenced today, on 30 June 2018. The works planned for the delivery of natural gas to Europe through Turkey in the near future are being carried out according to the schedule," Isayev was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to the statement, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA, part of World Bank group) has approved the loan for the Azerbaijan Republic totaling $750 million to finance the TANAP project.

It will transport gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz Stage 2 gas field to Turkey and Europe.

The target capacity of the TANAP pipeline is 31 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The pipeline is 1,150 miles long.

ICGB to choose pipe supplier for Greece-Bulgaria gas link in June - SEE NEWS

Apr 19, 2018 13:11 CEST

Mario Tanev / Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy

SOFIA (Bulgaria), April 19 (SeeNews) - The supplier of pipes for the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (ICGB) project is expected to be selected in June, Bulgaria's energy ministry has said.

The shortlisted candidates will be announced by the end of April, the energy ministry said in a statement following a meeting of energy minister Temenuzhka Petkova with her Greek counterpart Giorgos Stathakis on Wednesday.

ICGB pipe supply tender attracts ten bids - SEE NEWS

16 March 2018
Bulgarian Ministry of Energy

SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 16 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's energy ministry said on Friday that a tender for the supply of pipes for the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria project has attracted ten offers.

Bids were filed by Jindaw SAW Ltd, JSC Zagorsk Pipe Plant, Welspun Corp. Ltd, Salzgitter Mannesmann International GmbH, Noksel Celik Boru Sanayii A.S., Umran Celik Boru Sanayii A.S., Erciyas Celik Boru Sanayi A.S., Toplivo-2, Korinth Pipeworks S.A., Pipe Industry S.A. and Public Joint Stock Company Chelyabinsk Pipe Plant, the energy ministry said in a statement.

This is the first of several key tenders, which will ensure the actual commencing of construction of the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria.

The tender for the construction of the interconnector will be launched in April, the ministry also said. In addition, tenders for supervision of construction works and for carrying out an archaeological study are due to be opened.

The IGB pipeline will connect the Greek gas transmission system in the area of Komotini to the Bulgarian gas transmission system in the area of Stara Zagora.

Israel expects decision on East Med gas pipeline to Europe in 2019 - REUTERS

THU MAR 8, 2018 / 1:43 PM EST
Ron Bousso

(Reuters) - Israel expects a decision to go ahead with the construction of a 2,000 kilometer (1,243 mile) pipeline linking vast eastern Mediterranean gas resources to Europe to be made by early 2019, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Reuters.

The pipeline, which will cross from Israel and Cyprus into Greece and Italy in deep waters, would mark a major milestone for the rapidly developing gas industry in the Levantine Basin in the east corner of the Mediterranean, offering access to a large market.

The European Union considers the pipeline, estimated to cost $7 billion, as "extremely competitive" as the four partner countries continue construction plans for the technically complex line, Steinitz told Reuters late on Wednesday on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston.

"This summer we will reach a detailed agreement between the four founding states of the East Med pipeline and at the beginning of 2019 we hope to see a final investment decision," he said.

Israeli sources: EU funding, better 'understanding' between Cyprus, Turkey necessary for East Med pipeline to materialize - NAFTEMPORIKI

Wednesday, 01 November 2017 14:42, UPD: 02/11/2017 10:10
V. Kostoulas

The prospect of securing EU funding and a "better understanding" between Cyprus and Turkey are judged as significant factors for achieving the construction of the East Med natural gas pipeline, which would link deposits exploited in the east Mediterranean with west European markets.

Israeli analysts well versed with the Netanyahu government's energy policy directly referred to these two factors in comments to "N" last month, while adding that the proven energy reserves comprise a valuable took in exercising policy in the wider region.

East Med pipeline possible says Netanyahu - CYPRUS MAIL

JUNE 18, 2017

President Anastasiades, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipris and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

THE East Med pipeline taking gas to Europe from reserves in Israel, Cyprus and south of Cyprus was a visible possibility, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview published on Sunday.

In an exclusive interview with Kathimerini newspaper, Netanyahu, said that if the pipeline became a reality, it would have tremendous prospects.

President Nicos Anastasiades, Netanyahu, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who met on Thursday in Thessaloniki for their fourth trilateral Summit, said in a declaration issued afterwards they would speed up plans for the development of a pipeline channelling gas to Europe from newly discovered east Mediterranean reserves.