energy security

Energy transition fund to cover DEPA Commercial for LNG cancellations

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DEPA Commercial will be compensated through the energy transition fund for its cancellation of two LNG orders made with TotalEnergies a few months ago as part of the country’s overall effort to bolster energy security ahead of this winter period.

A multi-bill submitted to Parliament yesterday by the energy ministry includes a special revision facilitating this compensation payment to DEPA Commercial, which cancelled two LNG orders submitted to TotalEnergies as a result of a sharp reduction in domestic natural gas consumption.

The legislative revision specifies the compensation payment to DEPA Commercial will be made within a two-month period once all supporting documents have been forwarded by the gas company to DAPEEP, the RES market operator.

The two DEPA Commercial orders were planned for delivery between November, 2022 and March, 2023 as cover in the event of a disruption of Russian gas supply to Greece. But the orders ended up proving excessive given the prevailing conditions.

Analysts expect new round of gas price increases this year

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Analysts are projecting an eventual rise in gas prices over the next few months as a result of the combined effect of several factors, the main one being Europe’s almost entire dependence, these days, on imported LNG.

This LNG dependence, following Europe’s drift away from Russia, along with Europe’s limited LNG gasification infrastructure, until at least 2025, will inevitably lead to price increases at some point in 2023, analysts have noted.

Natural gas prices have been falling in recent times and are expected to, once again, drop below the price level of coal. This price descent, analysts believe, will reignite industrial activity in Europe, boosting gas demand.

Also, Chinese production, currently operating at below full capacity as a result of the country’s strict adherence, until recently, to a zero-Covid policy, is also expected to get back into top gear within 2023.

In addition, if Europe avoids recession, then global gas orders will skyrocket.

Taking these factors into account, Europe needs to maintain links with pipeline gas supply if energy security is to be ensured on the continent, analysts have noted.

This highlights the significance of projects such as the East Med gas pipeline plan, now seeming to be back in favor. It promises to connect Israel, Cyprus and Greece, over a total distance of 2,000 kilometers, before crossing to Italy via the Poseidon pipeline, a 210-kilometer stretch.

RAE prepares list of crucial industries for gas rationing exemption

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RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has prioritized industrial enterprises for a ranking system exempting the most crucial players from natural gas rationing in 2023, should such an emergency measure be necessary.

This list of prioritized industries is needed so that a revised emergency plan for 2023, prepared by gas grid operator DESFA and approved by RAE, can be implemented, if needed.

The European Commission requires all EU member states to deliver lists prioritizing industries for the year as part of an EU’s emergency plan designed to weather extreme energy market conditions.

In Greece, a total of 104 industries have been divided and prioritized in eight groups. Industries belonging to the highest-ranked group would be the first to be subject to rationing, while industries in the lowest-ranked group are least likely to be subject to gas rationing.

Industries in the highest-ranked group could convert to alternative fuels and second-tier industries could reduce gas consumption without any major impact on their operations.

Energy sufficiency fears rising, extra FSU may be required

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The probability of a complete disruption of Russian gas supply to Europe, including the Turk Stream pipeline supplying Greece and other Balkan countries, is becoming increasingly likely, members of the country’s crisis management team have told energypress.

Over the past few weeks, energy operators have been staging more frequent simulated tests for the country’s electricity and natural gas systems in an effort to measure the extent of energy shortages that would result from a Russian decision to cut off all Gazprom supply routes to Europe.

The tests, according to sources, include rapid moves securing additional LNG cargo orders as replacements for Russian gas quantities.

An extra FSU at the LNG terminal on Revythoussa, the islet just off Athens, in addition to one just installed at the facility, cannot be ruled out at this stage, Athanasios Dagoumas, president of RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, noted yesterday during a speech at the OT (Oikonomikos Tahydromos) Forum.

 

Lignite boost target dependent on futures of sidelined mines

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Power utility PPC’s target of boosting its monthly lignite extraction from one million tons to 1.5 million tons, an increase that would enable lignite-fired power station grounds to be fully stocked with lignite reserves ahead of winter, can only be achieved if the futures of two lignite mines, Ahlada and Vevi, both in northern Greece’s Florina region, are cleared up.

Lignitoryhia Ahladas SA, the company to which two lignite mines, Ahlada 1 and Ahlada 2, were leased by the Greek State, was declared defunct by the energy ministry in July as a result of its failure to meet agreement terms, primarily lease payments.

This company, alone, could have provided PPC’s Meliti lignite-fired power station with up to 2.5 million tons of lignite, annually, meaning 1.5 TWh in electricity generation, nearly double this unit’s current limit of 0.8 TWh.

PPC is believed to be close to reaching a new mining agreement with a major private-sector energy firm for the Ahlada lignite deposits.

Greece needs to bolster its lignite reserves as an energy security measure should Russia, in a worst-case scenario, disrupt gas supplies to Europe. Approximately 40 percent of Greece’s electricity generation is gas-fueled.

PPC’s Meliti power station is currently fed by two other lignite sources, one privately owned by METE and, the other, a PPC mine at Mavropigi, in northern Greece’s Kozani region.

There have been no developments concerning Vevi, the Florina region’s other lignite mine, which is owned by the Greek State and has been sidelined since 2001. Reopening the mine after so many years of inactivity would inevitably develop into a lengthy procedure, sector experts have warned.

 

European gas storage units 80% full, sufficiency still not assured

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Europe’s natural gas storage facilities have been filled to 80 percent of their capacity, on average, well ahead of an early-October target that had been set by EU authorities as an energy crisis emergency plan.

Given the intense competition anticipated for LNG cargoes in the international market, as well as Asia’s strengthened markets, securing sufficient reserves is important but not a guarantee that Europe will make it through the winter unscathed.

German estimates project that European gas reserves at 80 percent of storage capacity, as an EU average, would last for approximately two months if Russia were to fully disrupt its supply to Europe. The winter’s level of harshness will greatly shape consumption levels and, by extension, consequences.

European gas reserves are likely to reach 90 percent of storage capacity over the next month.

At this stage, the challenge for the EU is to continue securing gas loads. This would minimize the use of gas kept in storage and maintain high storage levels all the way through winter for a bolstered position looking further ahead.

 

Revythoussa new FSU ready to receive LNG, slots in October

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A newly installed floating storage unit at the Revythoussa LNG terminal on the islet just off Athens, which has boosted the facility’s capacity by 70 percent, is now ready to receive additional LNG shipments.

The LNG terminal’s capacity boost comes ahead of an October auction, to be held by gas grid operator DESFA, for slots at the facility.

All technically related preparations concerning the new FSU have been completed. The capacity boost enables two LNG tankers to unload at the same time, meaning scheduled tanker arrivals can  be facilitated along with short-notice import orders placed by suppliers or traders.

Such a need does not seem necessary at present, market sources have informed, but the usefulness of the terminal’s capacity boost will start becoming apparent once autumn sets in.

Suppliers and traders will be able to plan their LNG imports for 2023 in accordance with the terminal’s increased capacity as DESFA will auction off slots in October.

The FSU, leased by DESFA in June for a 12-month period through a tender, boosts the terminal’s capacity by 70 percent, from 225,000 cubic meters to 380,000 cubic meters.

 

 

RAE approves energy crisis plans for winter sufficiency

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The board at RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has approved preventive action and risk preparedness plans for the country’s electricity sector, two tools shaped in response to soaring gas and electricity prices, breaking records, in the energy crisis.

Though it is generally hoped they will be needless, the two tools could prove useful during what is expected to be a challenging winter throughout Europe, including Greece.

The preventive action plan was approved by RAE following certain revisions to the initial plan, concerning gas reserve requirements.

According to the plan, a new floating storage unit installed in June at the LNG terminal on the islet Revythoussa, just off Athens, will maintain 0.57 TWH in strategic reserves for electricity production, while 1.14 TWh in gas supplier reserves will be stored at an Italian storage facility.

However, the plan is non-binding as these gas reserves may also be stored at other facilities if preferred by players, who are required to maintain strategic gas reserves.

 

Power producer diesel reserves focus of emergency meeting

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Top-ranked officials representing the country’s Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) and Motor Oil refineries, electricity producers, as well as RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, will take part in an emergency meeting called for today by the energy ministry to address diesel safety reserves and a conversion to this energy source by a number of natural gas-fueled power stations should Russia completely disrupt its gas supply.

According to a RAE plan, five natural gas-fueled power stations will run on diesel should Moscow turn off the taps. These facilities will need to maintain an adequate level of diesel reserves covering the emergency plan.

Diesel reserve level requirements for these power stations have been increased, up from 5 to 20 days of consumption, or maximum storage capacity. Electricity producers must reach the increased safety levels by November 1.

FSU at Revythoussa LNG unit, Italy storage solution advances

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An FSU has been licensed and installed at gas grid operator DESFA’s LNG terminal on the islet Revythoussa, just off Athens, boosting the facility’s overall capacity to 370,000 cubic meters.

The new floating storage unit’s installation at the Revythoussa terminal comes as part of the country’s energy security effort for protection should Russia disrupt its gas supply. In addition, it will also be used to serve the needs of neighboring countries.

Other steps are also being taken as part of the national energy security plan.

Greek and Italian officials have reached an advanced stage in talks for maintenance of Greek gas reserves at 1.14 TWh at an underground storage facility in the neighboring country. According to sources, the two sides are set to sign a related Memorandum of Cooperation.

The European Commission requires all EU member states without – or without sufficient – natural gas storage facilities, such as Greece, to store by November 1, gas quantities representing 15 percent of annual consumption at existing storage facilities maintained by fellow member states.

Electricity producers operating generators with dual combustion units (natural gas and diesel) are soon expected to take part in an energy ministry meeting to examine fuel-storage issues. This session could take place tomorrow.

 

 

Italian gas storage up to 2 TWh from October for 5 months

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Greek authorities are taking steps to prepare for a gas-storage solution ahead of next winter in neighboring Italy, in accordance with EU rules, requiring all member states without – or without sufficient – natural gas storage facilities, such as Greece, to store, by November 1, gas quantities representing 15 percent of annual consumption, based on last year’s level, at existing storage facilities maintained by fellow member states.

Based on this requirement and the country’s consumption level last year, Greece will need to store a total of approximately 900 million cubic meters of gas, or 8 TWh, of which up to 2 TWh will be stored at Italian facilities from October for a five-month period.

Storage costs for such a quantity are expected to reach 250 million euros, under favorable conditions.

A related proposal forwarded by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, will undergo consultation before final decisions on the country’s gas storage plan are made.

 

July power subsidies 20 cents per KWh for all households

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Electricity bill amounts for all households will be subsidized at a rate of 20 cents per KWh for consumption in July, without any upper limits and regardless of income levels, energy minister Kostas Skrekas has announced.

The total value of the government’s subsidy package for July is expected to reach 722 million euros, a 300 million-euro increase compared to June.

Besides the universal amount to be offered to all households, July’s electricity consumption for low-income households eligible for social support will be subsidized 240 euros per MWh, a rate fully absorbing the month-to-month increase.

In addition, electricity consumption concerning businesses with 35-kVA connections will be subsidized at a rate of 192 euros per MWh, while all other businesses and industries will be supported with subsidies worth 148 euros per MWh for July.

Furthermore, natural gas subsidies for industrial consumers will be subsidized at a rate of 30 euros per thermal MWh, according to the government’s support package.

Commenting on the government’s energy-security plan should Russian gas supply to Greece be disrupted, Skrekas, the energy minister, noted that the capacity of the Revythoussa LNG terminal on the islet just off Athens will be doubled with the installation of an FSU, expected to be ready to operate by the end of this month.

LNG imports will be increased, the minister noted, adding that power utility PPC’s new lignite-fired power station Ptolemaida V will be ready to operate in September. This facility will convert to gas later on. Also, five diesel-fueled units are ready to be used, if necessary, the minister informed.

RAE delivers grid emergency action plan, listing 16 dangers

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RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has forwarded, for consultation, an emergency action plan for Greece’s electricity sector, listing a total of 16 possible danger scenarios, two of which, a disruption of Russian natural gas supply and cyberattacks at crucial energy infrastructure, are regarded as highly probable and intolerable.

The aforementioned dangers, along with natural disasters, such as extreme weather conditions, would prompt extended outages, putting lives at risk and resulting in a leakage of information crucial for national security, according to the action plan, which RAE prepared with support from power grid operator IPTO.

Other dangers included in this list include equipment failure, floods, heat waves, snow storms, forest fires and human error.

The action plan’s proposed responses, to avoid grid collapse or even destruction, include load reductions, pumped storage station and electricity export disruptions, activation of reserve solutions and consumption-reduction mechanisms, and, as a last resort, electricity supply disruptions for businesses and households.

DG Energy chief in Athens for talks on range of key projects

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The European Commission’s Director-General for Energy Ditte Juul-Joergensen will be discussing a range of issues with the energy ministry’s leadership at a meeting in Athens today, including Greece’s role in the Balkans, western Balkan interconnection projects, natural gas reserves ahead of next winter, as well as Greece’s list of projects related to REPower EU, Europe’s plan for an end to the continent’s reliance on Russian energy sources.

Athens’ plan for wholesale electricity market intervention through a mechanism designed to subdue price levels is also expected to be discussed. It still needs to be approved by the European Commission, according to government sources.

The energy ministry is confident this mechanism will be approved by Brussels following a related agreement reached by its leadership during a visit to Brussels in late May. Market officials have remained uncertain.

Greece is expected to seek funding support estimated between 7 and 8 billion euros through the REPower EU initiative for a total of 14 projects supporting energy efficiency and security.

These projects include an upgrade of the gas grid; installation of a new floating storage unit at the islet Revythoussa, just off Athens; the Dioryga Gas FSRU in Corinth, west of Athens; an FSRU at Alexandroupoli, in Greece’s northeast; the Blue Med hydrogen project; the prospective underground natural gas storage facility (UGS) at the almost depleted natural gas field of “South Kavala” in the Aegean Sea’s north; IGB and TAP capacity boosts; as well as Greek-Egyptian and Greek-Bulgarian electricity grid interconnections.

PPC awaits Brussels energy strategy to decide on Ptolemaida V

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Power utility PPC will wait for the European Commission’s finalized decisions on a strategic plan intended to end the EU’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels before it decides on the operating and conversion details of its prospective Ptolemaida V power station in northern Greece, to be launched as a lignite-fired facility before being converted to natural gas.

The PPC board is now expected to decide on Ptolemaida V’s conversion date towards the end of this year, according to sources.

Ptolemaida V, expected to undergo a trial run in the second half of the year before being launched late in the year or early in 2023, will be introduced as Greece’s last lignite-fired power station.

Early in April, prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced extensions to withdrawal dates for older lignite-fired power stations that were originally headed for closure prior to 2025. At the time, the prime minister also informed that Ptolemaida V could now operate as a lignite-fired unit until 2028.

Revisions to the country’s decarbonization plan have been prompted by energy security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the exacerbation of the preceding energy crisis as a result of this war.

The Greek government has decided to increase lignite mining output as a safety measure should Russia interrupt its natural gas supply.

A year ago, PPC had announced it intended to convert Ptolemaida V into a natural gas-fired facility as of 2025, but the latest energy security concerns froze this plan.

 

NECP officials at odds over future gas role in Greece

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Local authorities are at odds over the role of natural gas in the country’s National Energy and Climate Plan, to be revised, as well as on the decarbonization road map for the coming decades.

A second session just held by an energy ministry working group assembled for the NECP revisions has revealed contrasting views on the future plans for natural gas in Greece, energypress sources have informed.

One side of the working group’s members wants an end to the expansion of natural gas in Greece and containment of investments for new natural gas infrastructure, especially networks.

At the other end, a second group of officials supports that Europe’s intention to end the continent’s reliance on Russian natural gas highlights the need for diversification of energy sources in Greece, as the country’s system is designed based on the assumption of Russia being a key supplier of natural gas.

This group also noted that Greece, based on the new European energy plan, stands to become a main gateway for natural gas to the wider region and, as a result, is favorably positioned for related gas infrastructure investments worth 10 billion euros, through the REPowerEU plan, prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

 

Greece envisioned as gas supply solution in Europe, Balkans

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Greece is seen as a natural gas supply solution by Balkan and European countries, a Regional Task Force meeting in Sofia, staged within the framework of the EU Energy Platform –  formed to help establish common natural gas and hydrogen markets – has made apparent.

The Sofia meetings agenda focused on the search of natural gas supply solutions given an anticipated demand increase in Europe, including the continent’s southeast, Mihalis Thomadakis, Director of Strategy and Management at gas grid operator DESFA, who participated in the Sofia meeting, has told an ensuing industry event, Athens Energy Dialogues.

He was a member of the Greek delegation in Sofia led by Nektaria Karakatsani, an energy ministry expert on energy policy matters.

Delegations representing Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Moldova also took part at the Regional Task Force meeting in Sofia.

Thomadakis, the DESFA official, underlined that gas network upgrades need to be developed as quickly as possible in order to meet new needs emerging.

Besides the EU Energy Platform, established in April as part of Europe’s plan for a swift end to its reliance on Russian natural gas, the European Commission, in collaboration with the International Energy Agency, has also formed the Technical Support Instrument, a project already involving seventeen EU member states, for the same purpose.

The TSI project is promoting energy source diversification and transmission, biomethane production, international hydrogen trade, roof-mounted solar energy installations, energy efficiency measures, swifter RES licensing procedures, innovative hydrogen solutions, as well as RES projects for the industrial sector.

 

PM discusses Greek regional gas supply prospects in talks with US president

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The crucial role to be played by northeastern Greece’s prospective Alexandroupoli FSRU as a project that promises to help reduce and eliminate the reliance of the Balkans and, by extension, east Europe on Russian gas was stressed during talks between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and US president Joe Biden in Washington yesterday.

The Greek leader, who stressed that the Alexandroupoli FSRU will be installed at a port just 500 km from the Ukraine border, added the facility, discussed extensively between the two leaders, will play a pivotal role in Europe’s decision to end its reliance on Russian gas.

Mitsotakis also discussed Greece’s ambitious yet not unattainable objective of becoming an energy hub in the Balkans, as a first step, as well as a key player in eastern Europe.

Three prospective LNG terminals – Alexandroupoli FSRU I and II, as well as Dioryga Gas, close to Korinthos, west of Athens – combined with the existing LNG terminal on the islet Revythoussa, just off Athens, that will soon acquire a fourth storage unit, could elevate Greece’s regional role as a main gas supplier in the Balkans and eastern Europe.

 

 

 

RAE decides on 12-month FSU rental for Revythoussa, 70% capacity boost

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RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has decided on a 12-month rental solution for an FSU installation at the country’s LNG terminal on the islet Revythoussa, just off Athens, a move planned to increase the facility’s capacity by 70 percent at an overall cost estimated at 20 million euros, energypress sources have informed.

The FSU, to serve as an addition to three existing storage units at the Revythoussa LNG terminal, is planned for July, the sources added.

RAE’s finalized decision enables gas grid operator DESFA, operating the LNG terminal, to stage a second round of binding bids for reservation of capacities. The procedure is expected to take place imminently, by mid-May. Four companies participated in the non-binding first round.

The FSU to be moored will offer a capacity of between 150,000 and 174,000 bcm, increasing the terminal’s current capacity of 225,000 m3 to at least 375,000 m3.

 

 

Alexandroupoli FSRU development launch today, pivotal project

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Development of the Alexandroupoli FSRU in Greece’s northeast, a project promising to boost energy security by broadening energy source diversification for Greece and the wider Balkan region, is scheduled to officially commence today.

The prime ministers of Greece and Bulgaria, as well as Serbia’s president, will attend today’s official ceremony. The leaders will highlight the need for energy source diversification in the Balkans and reduced reliance on Russian natural gas.

The Alexandroupoli FSRU promises to establish Greece as a gas hub for transportation of LNG into the EU.

Natural gas consumption in southeast Europe totals between 10 and 11 bcm annually, half this amount provided by Russia.

The Alexandroupoli FSRU, expected to be ready to operate by the end of 2023, is planned to offer a capacity of approximately 5.5 bcm, greatly diversifying gas supply to southeast Europe.

The project is budgeted at 380 million euros, of which 166.7 million euros will be provided through the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF).

The Alexandroupoli FSRU will be linked with Greece’s gas grid via a 28-km pipeline, enabling gas supply to Greece, Bulgaria and the wider region, including Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Moldavia and Ukraine.

 

REPower EU plan overambitious, ‘an objective, not a specific strategy’

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The European Commission’s REPower EU transition plan, aiming to greatly reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian gas, is overambitious and should be regarded as an objective rather than a set of specific measures, officials taking part in the recent annual Gas Infrastructure Europe conference, an authoritative sector event, have concluded.

The calculations offered by the REPower EU plan are incorrect, Torben Brabo, GIE’s president, has told the Euractive agency, adding that a closer look at the figures concerning Russian natural gas supply, LNG supply, as well as biomethane projections, renders the European plan as overambitious.

LNG availability and purchase projections in the REPower EU plan are possibly too high, the GIE president stressed.

Officials linked with LNG infrastructure told the GIE conference that the LNG market’s actual conditions will prevent the EU plan’s lofty targets from being achieved. Anything beyond 50 percent of the target set will be difficult to attain, these officials contended.

American current gas liquefaction capacity does not suffice for supply of an additional 15 bcm of LNG to Europe, as specified in the EU plan, officials taking part in the GIE conference contended.

Qatar and other LNG exporters in the Middle East have already committed amounts to non-EU buyers, while the REPower EU plan’s 35-bcm biomethane objective appears to be too optimistic, they added.

 

 

 

 

Four Revythoussa FSU offers made, 6-month lease for start

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Four companies have expressed non-binding interest in a procedure seeking FSU offers, both through lease and sale arrangements, for gas grid operator DESFA’s LNG terminal on the islet Revythoussa, just off Athens.

The Revythoussa plan entails adding an FSU with a capacity of between 150,000 and 174,000 m3 to the LNG terminal, which would increase the facility’s current 225,000 m3 capacity, provided by three existing onshore storage units, to at least 375,000 m3, an increase of approximately 70 percent.

Local authorities were satisfied with the level of interest expressed by participants in the first-round procedure, staged to gauge the market for FSU availability. The procedure was staged with guidance from international broker SSY Gas.

A six-month lease solution for an FSU is now considered certain as an initial plan as RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, keeps assessing market data to decide whether an FSU lease or purchase solution is best for Revythoussa over the longer term.

A follow-up tender inviting interested parties to submit binding bids will be staged as soon as RAE has reached its decision.

According to the plan’s schedule, a follow-up tender is planned for the first half of May. Officials aim to have an FSU moored at Revythoussa by the end of July.

 

Swift moves for Revythoussa capacity boost, FSU by July 30

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Gas grid operator DESFA’s plan to boost the capacity of its LNG terminal on the islet Revythoussa, just off Athens, with the addition of a floating storage unit (FSU), is in full progress, the target date for its mooring being no later than July 30.

DESFA is now preparing to stage a related tender for this plan and, as a first step, is researching the international market to check on the availability of an FSU matching Revythoussa’s requirements, factors including the installation’s period, should a lease solution be chosen, and storage capacity.

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, is soon expected to decide on whether the FSU should be purchased or leased.

The authority is expected to hold a meeting today with DESFA officials to discuss the plan’s details.

DESFA has indicated it could lease an FSU for a period of between 12 to 18 months and, as part of this plan, would receive the vessel between May 1 and July 30.

The operator is moving fast as the European Commission has requested all EU natural gas storage facilities be filled to 80 percent of capacity by November 1. In addition, the danger of a Russian disruption of gas supply to Europe also requires swift action, as does the higher energy demand anticipated during the summer season.

 

Lignite extraction boosted as part of emergency plan

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Power utility PPC has boosted its lignite mining output by an additional 5,000 to 6,000 tons a day for its Meliti and Agios Dimitrios power stations in northern Greece and by an extra 7,000 to 8,000 tons a day for its Megalopoli power station in the Peloponnese, in response to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ call, early in April, for increased lignite reserves should Russia disrupt its natural gas supply to Europe.

The objective is to increase lignite extraction by 45 to 50 percent over a two-year period for reserves amounting to more than 15 million tons, up from the present quantity of 10.5 million tons, which would enable lignite-fired production to reach 6.5 TWh annually, up from 4.5 TWh projected in the current energy plan.

The majority of PPC’s seven lignite-fired power stations will need to be temporarily withdrawn if increased lignite quantities are to be accumulated at the yards of these power stations.

Of the country’s seven lignite-fired power stations, just one, Agios Dimitrios IV, is scheduled to operate today.

The additional 2 TWh of electricity generation that could be produced annually as a result of this initiative would still not suffice if Russia were to stop supplying natural gas to Europe.

Greece’s annual electricity consumption is estimated at 55 TWh. Last year, natural gas-fueled electricity generation covered 20 TWh of the country’s overall electricity demand, with 40 percent of the natural gas used supplied by Russia.

This means Russia’s natural gas was responsible for 8 TWh of Greece’s electricity generation last year. The Greek plan for an additional 2 TWh in generation through greater lignite production would only cover 25 percent of electricity currently produced using Russian natural gas.

Additional LNG shipments, accelerated development of RES projects, and an energy-saving policy for households, businesses and industry will also be needed to cover the gap.

Egyptian grid operator team in Athens for Greek grid link talks

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A team of highly ranked officials from the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), headed by president and CEO Sabah Mashali, is in Athens for two days of talks, beginning today, on the development of the Greek-Egyptian grid interconnection.

The EETC officials are scheduled to meet today with a team of Greek power grid operator IPTO officials, headed by president and CEO Manos Manousakis, for a discussion on technical details concerning the grid interconnection.

Tomorrow, the EETC team is scheduled to meet with Greece’s energy minister Kostas Skrekas as well as development and investment minister Adonis Georgiadis.

A first step for the project was taken last October when the Greek and Egyptian energy ministers signed a related Memorandum of Understanding. As part of the agreement, the power grid operators of both countries have assembled a working group to conduct necessary preliminary work.

The group’s responsibilities, according to the MoU, include technical coordination to ensure the grid interconnection’s compatibility; facilitating the project’s licensing matters; as well as providing support for the project’s classification as an EU Project of Common Interest, which would ensure EU funding support.

The Greek-Egyptian grid interconnection is planned to exclusively transmit green energy from Egypt to Greece as a means of increasing the energy-mix share of renewables in Greece and the wider region and also bolstering energy security in Europe, prioritized following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, during a recent meeting with European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, stressed the importance of the Greek-Egyptian grid link, noting it should receive European backing.

 

Revythoussa FSU purchase advantageous over rental

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The purchase of a floating storage unit (FSU) for installation at the Revythoussa islet LNG terminal just off Athens, to boost the unit’s capacity for the country’s protection against a further supply crisis, is financially advantageous compared to a one-year rental of an equivalent floating storage system, officials at gas grid operator DESFA, operating the terminal, have determined following their analysis of a related cost-benefit analysis.

The analysis, forwarded for consultation by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, last Friday, compares the costs of purchase and rent solutions over a five-year period.

Taking into account depreciation over the five-year period, the purchase of an FSU works out to be 48.4 million euros cheaper than a rental solution, DESFA officials have calculated.

An FSU rental for one year would cost a net amount of 110.6 million euros, whereas a purchase would cost 172.8 million euros, ultimately beneficial over a five-year period, according to the DESFA officials.

A capacity boost at the Revythoussa LNG terminal is seen as crucial in the effort to protect the country’s energy supply security should Russia disrupt its natural gas supply to Europe.

If Moscow does decide to cut supply to the continent, Greece, it is estimated, will need to order an additional 50 or so LNG shipments over the next 12 months.

Greece, Cyprus, Israel look to push ahead with key projects

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The prospective East Med gas pipeline and a subsea electricity grid interconnection, projects that would link Israel with Cyprus and Greece and which are being heavily promoted as a result of the EU’s new energy policy, aiming to end the continent’s reliance on Russian gas as soon as possible, are expected to dominate the agenda of today’s trilateral meeting in Jerusalem between the energy ministers of Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

Energy company representatives will, for the first time, also be participating in a trilateral meeting of energy ministers involving the three countries, highlighting the determination of all three countries, and the EU, for swift progress on projects and agreements that would contribute to greater energy diversification for Europe.

Greek energy minister Kostas Skrekas will be accompanied by Kostas Xifaras, chief executive of gas company DEPA Commercial; Mathios Rigas, CEO of upstream company Energean; and Manos Manousakis, CEO of Greek power grid operator IPTO.

Representatives of corresponding Cypriot and Israeli companies will also be taking part in today’s trilateral meeting.

Prospects for the development of the EuroAsia electricity grid link promising to connect the three countries have grown considerably as Israel appears to have swept aside previous reservations. Israel has wanted the completion of the Crete-Cyprus link as a prerequisite ahead of further development.

 

 

South Kavala UGS facing delay, war prompts need for cost-benefit update

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The final round of privatization fund TAIPED’s tender for a prospective underground natural gas storage facility (UGS) at the almost depleted natural gas field of “South Kavala” in the Aegean Sea’s north appears set for a latter date as authorities believe the project’s cost-benefit analysis needs to be updated as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

TAIPED was aiming to stage the tender’s second round late in May, but officials at the energy ministry and RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, believe the UGS project’s cost-benefit analysis now needs to be updated.

More specifically, at current gas price levels, it would cost 500 million euros to fill the UGS with gas, once its conversion from a depleted gas field has been completed. The conversion’s cost is also estimated at 500 million euros, meaning a total sum of one billion euros would currently be required to develop and fill the facility.

The project’s existing cost-benefit analysis, based on data prior to the war, is now out for consultation. It has already received two extensions.

It remains unknown if a recent European Commission decision requiring EU member states to maintain gas reserves representing 15 percent of annual consumption will be restricted to the war’s duration or become a permanent obligation.

Also, the project’s reexamination will most probably also need to take into account related domestic developments such as a plan for a gas network capacity increase.

 

Revythoussa FSU 12-month rental or permanent solution

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Greek authorities are making comparisons in preparation for a choice between an FSU one-year rental and a permanent floating storage unit at the Revythoussa LNG terminal as part of a plan to boost the country’s gas storage capacity ahead of next winter.

A decision for a capacity boost at the Revythoussa LNG terminal, with the addition of a fourth unit, has already been reached, highly ranked energy ministry officials have informed. A competitive procedure will be staged for the contract.

The option of renting an FSU for the Revythoussa LNG terminal, a facility operated by DESFA, the gas grid operator, would take approximately two months to complete, sources said.

This solution would make operations at the Revythoussa LNG terminal more flexible as it would enable unloading of two LNG orders simultaneously, instead of just one, as is the case at present.

A disruption of Russian gas supply to the EU would force all member states to try and secure additional LNG shipments.

The second alternative, entailing the installation of a permanent floating storage unit at the Revythoussa LNG terminal, would require more time to complete without offering any additional advantages, compared to the FSU rental, energy ministry officials noted.

Officials at RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, are comparing market data such as domestic gas demand projections, and also considering Revythoussa’s prospects for a bigger role as a natural gas gateway for neighboring countries. Bulgaria and Romania are already using the Revythoussa terminal for LNG imports.

DESFA calls for doubled gas network capacity, PPPs

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The country’s changing energy policy, especially following an EU decision aiming to drastically reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian natural gas, will require far greater gas transmission capabilities, inevitably prompting the need for a major network capacity boost, double the current capacity, with project participation from private-sector investors through public-private partnerships, DESFA, the gas grid operator, has informed RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy.

The EU’s energy policy, steering Europe towards energy-source diversification, promises to establish Greece as a southeastern transit country handling far bigger quantities than at present.

Speaking at the recent energypress Power & Gas Fourum, Michalis Thomadakis, DESFA’s Director of Strategy and Development Division, noted: “Certain projects need to be developed so that we can fully utilize the new role the Greek gas transmission system is being called upon to adopt in the wider region. This can only be done with investments. It basically means that the system’s capacity needs to be doubled.”

A disruption of Russian natural gas supply to Europe would create a need for approximately 40 bcm to the Balkan region. Much of this quantity would pass through Greek territory.

New infrastructure promising to greatly increase Greece’s LNG importing capacity is already in the making. Projects include the Alexandroupoli FSRU in the country’s northeast, the Dioryga Gas FSRU planned for the Korinthos region west of Athens, as well as an additional storage tank at Greece’s only existing LNG terminal on the islet Revythoussa, just off Athens.

Given these prospects, DESFA is currently looking to develop new pipelines and make network revisions that would facilitate greater quantities to other European markets.