The response to a pilot program staged by the recently established gas distributor DEDA, offering gas network connections to consumers in the provincial cities of Serres, Halkida and Lami, has proven positive.

According to energypress sources, at least 1,200 applications have already been submitted and DEDA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DEPA, the public gas corporation, is now proceeding with connections.

Contractors tasked with maintaining the network are handling these initial connections while a tender offering the task to additional sub-contractors is expected to be held within the next three months.

DEDA is also working on developing the gas networks in central Greece, central Macedonia and eastern Macedonia-Thrace.

A loan from the European Bank, DEDA company capital worth 19.6 million euros, as well as EU funds, through the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), will finance these network development projects.

They are planned to cover a total distance of 1,215 kilometers, offer an annual gas transmission capacity of 6.2 TWh, and serve the natural gas needs of 124,000 buildings.

DEDA also plans to follow up with network development work in the west Macedonia region. The gas supplier will seek European Investment Bank (EIB) funding for this stage.

Development of the west Macedonian region’s gas network has been made possible following negotiations with the TAP consortium, which led to an agreement offering DEDA gas supply via three points along the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, now being developed and planned to run across northern Greece. Two of these supply points will cover needs in the west Macedonia, Ptolemaida and Kastoria regions.

DEDA was founded at the beginning of 2017 and charged with operating most of the country’s natural gas network, except for the wider Athens area, Thessaly and Thessaloniki.