The European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, visited DESFA’s LNG Terminal of Revithoussa on Thursday, April 7th 2022, as part of her three-day visit to Greece. The Commissioner was accompanied by the Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Kostas Skrekas, the Secretary General of Energy and Mineral Resources, Alexandra Sdoukou, as well as the CEO of DESFA, Maria Rita Galli.
During the visit, the European Commissioner for Energy was guided by the CEO of DESFA, Maria Rita Galli, through the facilities of the LNG Terminal of Revithoussa and was informed of the key role and the operation of the infrastructure, as well as of the actions taken by DESFA in coordination with the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy, to address the effects of the war in Ukraine. The main focus was on further strengthening the security of supply and the diversification of the gas supply sources of Greece, while reference was also made to DESFA's strategy for the promotion of sustainable energy alternatives, in accordance with the REPowerEU plan and the recent relevant decisions of the European Commission.
"The implementation of the critical projects of the LNG Terminal of Rev?thoussa, with a budget of over 250 million euros, has been co-financed by funds of the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union through the Operational Program "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation", the Operational Programmes "Competitiveness" (EPANII and EPAN) and , in the context of the NSRF 2014-2020, NSRF 2007-2013 and the 3rd CSF 2000-2006 respectively. DESFA has received over 67 million euros during these programs and is expected to receive about 20 million euros for the completion of the new small scale LNG infrastructure (LNG Truck Loading Station and New Jetty) and the Boil-off Gas Compressor Station). It is pointed out that the Managing Authority of EPANEK of the Ministry of Development and Investments, closely monitors the progress of all co-financed projects of the LNG Terminal in a framework of very good cooperation with the services of DESFA."
Following the visit, the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, stated: “Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EU energy policy faces a threefold challenge: to ensure safe, sustainable and affordable energy in the midst of an increasingly difficult market situation. The Commission is working closely with the Member States to address these challenges and this week I am visiting Greece to discuss the best way forward. Greece, with its existing and planned infrastructure, plays a key role in the security of the EU's gas supply. It is worth acknowledging Greece's efforts to ensure a just transition, while making significant market reforms and accelerating the necessary investments”.
The Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Kostas Skrekas, noted: "We welcomed the Energy Commissioner with great pleasure at DESFA’s facilities in Revithoussa. I informed Ms. Simson about the comprehensive plan of the Greek Government for the energy supply of our country in case of interruption of the supply of natural gas from Russia. According to our plan, DESFA has launched the upgrade of the storage capacity of the Revithoussa terminal, while DEPA Commercial closely monitors the availability of LNG cargoes in the international markets in order to supply additional cargoes if necessary. We discussed the completion of critical infrastructure that will enhance the country's energy security, such as the interconnecting natural gas pipelines Greece – Bulgaria IGB and Greece - North Macedonia, the two new liquefied natural gas terminals in Corinth and Alexandroupolis, as well as the electricity interconnections with neighboring countries, such as Egypt. These projects will contribute to the transformation of our country into an important energy hub for the wider region of Southeastern Europe and to the independence from the imports of Russian fossil fuels. At the same time, we are accelerating investments in RES as the increase of green energy production will shield the country from imported crises and is the only realistic option for reducing costs on a stable basis for households and businesses. Finally, I emphasized to the Commissioner the firm position of the Greek Government that this unprecedented crisis can only be tackled by taking coordinated action at European level. This is the aim of the proposal of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which addresses the cause of the crisis at its base, for the restoration of the smooth operation of European markets and the joint supply of natural gas by the member states. "We must act decisively and collectively to protect society, especially the most vulnerable households and small and medium-sized enterprises, which see their efforts being undermined and their budgets threatened by explosive price increases".
DESFA’s CEO, Maria Rita Galli, stated: "Today, we had the honor of hosting the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, at DESFA's LNG facility in Revithoussa. We would like to warmly thank Ms. Simson for her visit, as it comes to confirm, amid difficult circumstances, the vital role of DESFA and its infrastructure as a pillar of stability and strengthening of the security of supply in Greece and the wider region of Southeastern Europe. In this direction, the addition of a Floating Storage Unit (FSU) at the Revithoussa LNG Terminal, combined with the other planned infrastructure, will enhance the flexibility of the system, allowing further diversification of supply sources and strengthening the security of supply of Greece and the wider region. All this is in full accordance with the REPowerEU plan and the new energy strategy of the European Union".
