Bypass solution for Alexandroupoli FSRU gas to IGB pipeline

Gastrade, a consortium established by the Copelouzos group for the development and operation of northeastern Greece’s Alexandroupoli FSRU, and gas grid operator DESFA, have reached a verbal agreement for a technical solution that will temporarily skip the need for a compressor station in order to transmit gas from the FSRU to the Greek-Bulgarian IGB pipeline for export.

The Alexandroupoli FSRU is planned to be completed by December, 2023, well ahead of the scheduled completion, by DESFA, of the IGB gas pipeline’s compressor station in Komotini, expected in October, 2024.

Normally, the Komotini compressor station would be needed to transmit natural gas from the FSRU to the IGB pipeline, whose commercial launch is scheduled for tomorrow.

The verbal agreement between Gastrade and DESFA, mediated by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, is soon expected to be made official.

The resulting contract will include a timeline for the development, by DESFA, of necessary accompanying projects concerning the country’s gas grid. They need to be completed if the technical solution agreed to by Gastrade and DESFA is to be brought to fruition.