Following a lengthy procedure, which lasted several months, Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) has approved 10-year development plan of natural gas transmission system operator DESFA.
However, the proposed virtual pipeline intended to supply LNG to the island of Crete, the north Aegean islands and the Dodecanese via tankers from the Revythoussa terminal was left out of the approved plan, which is the only notable change compared to the original draft.
LNG virtual pipelines serve as a substitute for conventional gas pipelines to enable the transport of LNG to points of use by sea, road or a combination of these. The proposal was removed following concerns over higher surcharge costs for consumers that could have been imposed as part of the project’s cost recovery procedure.
The operator’s 10-year plan includes, for the first time, a natural gas outlet along the Trans-Adriatic (TAP) pipeline route for the West Macedonia region. This outlet, a project budgeted at 3 million euros and expected to be launched late in 2022, is intended to supply natural gas Kozani, Ptolemaida, Florina and Amynteo for use at district heating facilities, as well as other energy needs in the post-lignite era.
The area’s heating system currently relies on energy produced by power utility PPC’s lignite-fired power plants, which will soon be closed as part of the country’s decarbonization effort.
