The floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) at Alexandroupolis, Greece is expected to receive the first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Saturday establishing the northern city as an energy hub for Southeastern Europe.
The FSRU will be connected to the 28-kilometer-long high-pressure subsea and onshore gas transmission pipeline, which, once operational, will deliver natural gas to the Greek Transmission System (NNGTS) and onwards to the final consumers in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia and further to Moldova and Ukraine to the East and Hungary and Slovakia to the West.
The FSRU was named “Alexandroupolis” in honor of the municipality and its citizens who embraced the project from the beginning and will host the FSRU permanently in the Thracian Sea.
Upon completing all testing activities, the terminal is planned to be commercially operational in the first quarter of 2024 and will have a maximum sustainable regasification capacity of 5.5 billion cubic meters a year.
Alexandroupolis FSRU for LNG “set to become an energy hub”
“It is a milestone for this borderland city which is set to become an energy hub for the entire Southeastern Europe,” Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Gastrade Elmina Copelouzou said recently.
Gastrade is a Greek company in charge of the development of the FSRU at Alexandroupolis.
“For Alexandroupolis, it is a major project that will boost the local economy and employment, but above all, it will redefine the city’s coordinates on the world map as a critical hub for the energy security of the entire Central and SE Europe” said the Managing Director of Gastrade Kostis Sifnaios.
“At the same time, it will establish yet another important pillar of National Security for Thrace, since it is part of the international and European strategy for diversification and independence of energy sources and transport routes from the historical monopolies,” he added.
In October 2023, the European Commission, under EU State aid rules, greenlighted a €106 million Greek measure to support the completion of the construction of the LNG terminal.
Greece’s first FSRU arrived in Alexandroupolis from Singapore
Greece’s first FSRU arrived in Alexandroupolis from Singapore on December 17 and mooring hook-up was completed on December 23, 2023.
With this project, Greece will get its first FSRU and the second LNG import facility, adding to DESFA’s import terminal located on the island of Revithoussa.
In addition to this unit, Gastrade is also planning to install a second FSRU offshore Alexandroupolis.
“The crisis [with Russia] is changing the energy map of Europe and Greece is at the forefront of this change,” Greek PM Mitsotakis said recently.
“In a few years, we may have 3 or even 4 floating LNG stations. We want to help our neighbors to diversify their energy supplies and to improve the stability associated with energy security,” he added.
Alexandoupolis is becoming not only an energy hub but is already a key port for US and NATO forces.
Related: Greece Becomes a European Hub for Liquefied Natural Gas
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