PM hails ‘new energy gateway’ at LNG terminal project launch in northern Greece

The liquified natural gas terminal being developed in Alexandroupoli will be a “new energy gateway” that will help Europe and the Balkans become less reliant on Russian supplies, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, at the inauguration of the landmark project in northern Greece.

The floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) is a “beacon sending a dual message: that with its completion we will soon be able to rid ourselves of gas coming from Russian sources and that our countries are assuming a common role on the new energy map,” he added, addressing an audience that comprised, among other dignitaries, European Council President Charles Michel, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the prime ministers of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov and North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski.

The new terminal, slated for launch in December 2023, is expected to bolster Greece’s energy security and enhance its regional strategic role, while also providing an alternative natural gas supply route that does not pass through Turkey and will reduce dependence on Russian gas.

It is also expected to prompt closer cooperation in the Balkan region in the field of energy.

While in the northern Greek port town, Mitsotakis also inaugurated a waste treatment plant and a ring road project, saying that they are proof of the government’s commitment to ensure that promises are turned into deeds.