A leading energy ministry official has scheduled, for today, a teleconference with electricity producers operating gas-fueled power stations to discuss the prospect of emergency diesel supply for alternative generation purposes should natural gas imports encounter issues.

The energy ministry’s secretary-general Alexandra Sdoukou and producers will  overview the supply chain to be activated for diesel as an alternative liquid, if market conditions require such action.

Previous thoughts by officials for power stations to partially run on diesel fuel, a few hours per month, to help ease natural gas demand, appear to have been abandoned as producers have raised concerns about various complications.

Instead, diesel will only be used as an alternative fuel by gas-fueled power stations if gas imports reach perilously low levels and the country enters a period of heightened alert. RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, will need to approve the switch by producers to diesel.

Five gas-fueled power stations in Greece are equipped to also run on diesel. Power utility PPC operates one of these in Lavrio and another in Komotini, Elpedison operates two more, in Thisvi and Thessaloniki, and Heron operates such a unit in Viotia.

Experts have previously informed energypress gas-fueled power stations can run on diesel for a maximum of five days per month without any technical issues or maintenance needs and 40 days a year. This limitation is necessary to avoid excessive soot accumulation and facility underperformance, the experts noted.