The US Ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, recently visited Greece’s LNG terminal on Revythoussa, the islet just off Athens, in anticipation of American LNG exports to Greece.

Following his visit to the facility, whose capacity is currently being increased with the addition of a third tank, the US ambassador noted that he hopes the upgrade will “make Greece the third European importer of American LNG,” following Poland and Lithuania.

Pyatt was shown around the Revythoussa facility by Sotiris Nikas, president and managing director of DESFA, Greece’s natural gas grid operator.

He described the facility as “impressive” and had a close-up look at the construction work in progress for the terminal’s new tank.

Earlier this week, Pyatt, who spoke at the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Greek Economy Conference”, stressed US firms are clearly interested in the country’s energy sector, while adding the US government is encouraging collaboration between Greek and American energy enterprises.

It appears the prospect of American LNG imports by Greece was discussed between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and American president Donald Trump during the Greek leader’s recent official visit to the US.

Pyatt has also taken initiatives to support such a development as part of a wider effort to bolster the US’s role in the European energy market.

Two US firms have already declared an interest to participate in a new DEPA (Public Gas Corporation) tender for additional LNG quanties between 2018 and 2020.

Also, US firm Tellurian Energy recently expressed an interest to enter a consortium planning to develop a floating LNG terminal (FSRU) in Alexandroupoli, northeastern Greece.