The licensing process for a prospective Floating LNG station in Alexandroupoli, northeastern Greece, which, in the event of an energy crisis, promises to play an important energy supply role for both Greece and the wider southeast Europe region, both at household and industrial levels, is currently at the final stage of completion.

Τhe project, under development by the Greek firm Gastrade with an estimated budget of 350 million euros, has been classified as a Project of Common Interest (PCI) by the European Commission, meaning that it is rated as a high-level priority project for the European Union. It is also a candidate for inclusion into the European Commission’s new funding program, the Partnership Agreement, or new National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF).

The floating station, to be located 17.5 kilometers off the coast of Alexandroupoli, will have an LNG storage capacity of 170,000 cubic meters, and will be able to supply almost 17 million cubic meters of natural gas to the Greek system per day. It will be connected to the national natural gas network via a 28 kilometer pipeline, essentially creating a new gas supply source for European markets, especially those of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, and Fyrom (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).

To operate in accordance with strict environmental standards, the project is not expected to have any negative impact on the sensitive ecosystem in the Evros region. The floating station will also offer support to the local community through the creation of new jobs.