Environment, Energy & Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis held a meeting yesterday with ship owners active in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) transportation as part of the ministry’s effort to bolster both the country’s energy security and that of EU member states as a whole, in light of the geopolitical challenges that have emerged in recent times.

New energy cost conditions to apply in the shipping sector as a result of the use of LNG in shipping – LNG Bunkering – were also examined.

Participants also exchanged ideas on the utilization of knowhow on matters concerning transportation and use of LNG, given Greece’s leading place in international shipping, especially in the transportation of LNG.

Details were also discussed on technical and financial possibilities concerning the supply of CNG or LNG to Greek islands and remote areas not included in plans for connection to existing natural gas networks in the foreseeable future.

Also, the meeting’s participants examined investment initiatives concerning Greece with regard to energy supply in southeast Europe, as well as the development of floating LNG stations.

Maniatis underlined the importance for the establishment of an open line of communication between ship owners active in LNG transportation and the Environment, Energy & Climate Change Ministry, as well as other agencies operating under the ministry’s control.

Giorgos Prokopiou of Dynagas LNG Partners; Nikolaos Tsakos, of the Tsakos Group of Companies; Stavros Hatzigrigoris, Manager at Maran Gas Maritime Inc, a unit of the Angelicoussis Shipping Group, and Theofanis Sallis, General Manager at Gaslog LNG Services Ltd, a member of the of Livanos Group, all took part in the meeting.

It was also attended by the Environment, Energy & Climate Change Ministry’s General Secretary Konstantinos Mathioudakis, and Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) Managing Director Spyros Paleogiannis.