Page 13 - GLNG Week 18 2022

GLNG EUROPE GLNG

Alexandroupolis LNG to

help reduce Balkans’

dependence on Russian gas

TERMINALS THE construction of a liquefied natural gas met by LNG from Greek terminal Revithoussa
(LNG) terminal in the Greek city of Alexan- and 60% by Russian gas sold by Greek public gas
droupolis was launched on May 3, a major pro- company DEPA, according to the article.
ject that will help Bulgaria, North Macedonia The Alexandroupolis project has been
and Serbia diversify from Russian gas. declared a project of special interest for natural
This will be the second Greek LNG terminal, gas by the European Union.
whose construction takes place at a time when “We will end our dependence on Russian fos-
investments aimed at achieving independence sil fuels. This new LNG terminal is a geopolitical
from Russian gas are accelerating throughout investment. It will help free Southeast Europe
Europe. Greece is thus set to become a major gas from the weaponisation of gas supply by Russia,”
supplier for the Balkans region. Michel said in a tweet.
The official launch of construction works “This is a historic event for the countries in
in the eastern Thrace region was marked by the region in the field of energy. This is a pro-
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and ject for long-term energy independence and
his Bulgarian peer Kiril Petkov. The ceremony for a stable and continuous supply of LNG in
was attended by the President of the European an extremely critical time,” North Macedonia’s
Council Charles Michel, the President of Serbia Kovacevski said, according to the government’s
Aleksandar Vucic as well as North Macedonia’s statement.
PM Dimitar Kovacevski. North Macedonia participates in this project
The project worth €363.7mn in total will with an agreement to reserve a certain capacity
comprise the floating storage and regasification for liquefied gas from the new Greek terminal.
unit (FSRU) as well as a system of underwater “Alexandroupolis terminal opens the possi-
and land pipelines for the gas to be transmitted to bility for the supply of gas from several different
the national grid, Greece’s Kathimerini reported. sources, such as from the United States and the
During the event Mitsotakis stressed the con- Middle East countries” Kovacevski said.
tribution of the new terminal to the region’s inde- Vucic, meanwhile, underlined that “at first
pendence from Russian natural gas. I was quite skeptical, I was wondering if such a
“The project in Alexandroupolis is a new thing could happen, but now I want to say that I
energy gateway and with its completion we will am grateful, because with this project we will be
soon be able to get rid of the gas coming from able to secure significant quantities of gas.”
Russian sources and our countries will have a Unlike the other countries set to benefit from
role in the new energy map,” Mitsotakis said, the project, Serbia has not imposed sanctions on
according to a government statement. Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, and Serbia
“Moscow’s recent blackmail with gas makes is expected to sign a new long-term gas supply
not only co-operation necessary but urgent,” he contract with Russia in the near future.
added. The natural gas that will arrive in the Alexan-
For his part, Petkov said that this is a historic droupolis terminal by ships from various sources
day for Bulgaria and Greece, during which an will be re-gasified, and will enter the national sys-
important step is taken for the energy independ- tem and from there be sent through the intercon-
ence of the two countries. nectors to Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia
Russia’s Gazprom decided to stop delivering and Romania, according to Kathimerini.
natural gas to Bulgaria as of April 27 after Sofia The project is being implemented by the
refused to amend the existing contract. Bulgaria Greek company Gastrade, which envisages the
is highly dependent on Russia as the source of project completion in 2023.
almost all its gas imports. North Macedonia is However the company, at the request of the
receiving gas via Bulgaria. Greek government, is making efforts to accel-
Since last week when Moscow closed the tap erate the process of completion by at least six
for Bulgaria, Greece became the sole supplier of months.™
gas to this country. 40% of Bulgaria’s gas needs are

Week 18 06•May•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13