Athens, 20 September 2024 (MIA) – The liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Alexandroupolis, Greece, will begin its commercial operations on Oct. 1, providing natural gas to several countries, including North Macedonia, MIA’s Athens correspondent reported.

Kostis Sifneos, the Gastrade’s CEO, the project's operating company, along with the ambassadors from EU member states, Switzerland, and Norway in Greece, visited the terminal. As reported by the Greek news agency ANA-MPA, they were briefed on its functioning, strategic objective and geopolitical importance.

“Only a few days remain until the start of commercial operations at the station, scheduled for October 1, a date that will officially mark the beginning of a new era for the role of Alexandroupolis and Greece in the energy landscape of Southeast and Central Europe, offering important opportunities for diversifying supply sources. This is especially significant following the recent agreement to commit a quarter of the terminal's capacity to the American company Venture Global LNG,” said Sifneos, according to ANA-MPA.

The visit of the ambassadors was initiated by the Hungarian embassy in Athens, considering that Hungary currently holds the presidency of the European Union.

Gastrade announced at the beginning of the month that the terminal's commercial operations will begin “following the successful completion of all commissioning tests.”

“The project will enhance Greece's leadership role in energy and contribute to the diversification of natural gas sources, energy security, and the creation of a regional gas trading hub in Southeast and Central Europe. Additionally, the project will support expansion and strengthen the outlook for the Vertical Corridor initiative,” the company stated.

The specially adapted tanker “Alexandropoulos,” which serves as a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), arrived in Alexandroupolis in mid-December last year, marking a key milestone in the construction of the regional project.

It is expected to deliver natural gas to the Greek transmission system and from there to end consumers in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, and further to Moldova and Ukraine in the east, as well as Hungary and Slovakia in the west, with a maximum sustainable regasification capacity of 5.5 billion cubic meters per year.

The project has been co-financed by resources of the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union through the Operational Programme “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation (EPAnEK)” within the framework of the NSRF 2014-2020.

In May 2022, a ceremonial event was held in Alexandroupolis to mark the start of the construction of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, attended by the then prime ministers of North Macedonia, Greece, and Bulgaria, as well as the president of Serbia and the president of the European Council.
At the end of March 2021, North Macedonia officially joined the project for the construction of the liquefied natural gas terminal, following the signing of the memoranda of cooperation between AD ESM, AD National Energy Resources and companies from Greece.

The then-Macedonian government stated that “in accordance with the agreement, our country contributes 25 percent to the natural gas power plant in Alexandroupolis, which is 800 megawatts in capacity, with an estimated investment of over 380 million euros.” They also indicated that participation is expected “with 10 percent of the total investment value of 370 million euros for the gas terminal.”

Photo: MIA archive