EU: Greece Plays Important Role in Independence from Russian Gas

Greece will play a significant role in developing independence from Russian fuel in Southeastern Europe, which currently relies heavily on fuel from the country, according to the European Commission.

Infrastructure for transit and imports that is currently under construction in Greece will be essential in reducing dependence on Russian oil in the region, a report from the European Commission’s RePower EU program asserted. The program is aimed at promoting European energy independence from Russia.

The Greek Ministry for Energy and the Environment also released a report detailing the specific environmental requirements for the construction of the EastMed pipeline, which will link Cyprus, Greece, and Israel and provide energy throughout Southeastern Europe when completed.

This progress brings hope to supporters of the pipeline after the US withdrew support from the East Med pipeline early this year.

Additionally, the construction of a pipeline linking Greece and Bulgaria and gas tanks in Revithousa and Alexandroupoli have made Greece into a key player in Europe’s race to become independent from Russian fuel imports, according to the European Commission.

The Greece-Bulgaria pipeline and the gas tank in Revithousa are set to be operational this summer while the tank in Alexandroupoli will be operational next year.

Greece set to help reduce dependence on Russian fuel

While Greece may play an important role in reducing dependence on Russian fuel, it has also become a top destination for tankers holding Russian oil and gas to transfer their cargo.

The number of tankers carrying Russian fuel that arrived in Greece in April reached record-breaking highs, indicating that the country’s waters have become a top destination for transporting Russian fuel.

According to a report by Reuters, arrivals of ships carrying fuel from Russia in Greece doubled in April compared to March, and this month’s figures may break April’s record of almost one million tons of fuel.

Once arriving in Greek ports, the tankers carrying Russian fuel then go on to export the product to other countries around the world by way of ship-to-ship transfer.

The bulk of the Russian oil that reached Greece went through the port at the city of Kalamata in the Peloponnese.

Russian oil and fuel, upon which many European countries are dependent for energy and heating, have become major points of contention in the EU in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

The bloc has attempted to ban all imports of Russian energy products, but countries that depend on the imports have blocked these attempts.