K. Skrekas: We bring natural gas to Western Greece

“Today is very important for Western Greece, because we bring a clean and cheap fuel, natural gas, to citizens who do not have access to date. A fuel that facilitates the operation of heating systems and especially helps entrepreneurship and especially productive “Thus, the companies of Western Greece will gain a competitive advantage, so that they can compete with other companies inside and outside Greece on equal terms.” These were emphasized by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Costas Skrekas, speaking tonight at an event held in Patras, on the occasion of the start of construction of the project “Development of low and medium pressure gas networks” in Patras, Agrinio and Pyrgos.

Regarding the energy crisis, he said that “the government has planned interventions in two axes” and explained: “The first axis has to do with ensuring the adequacy of energy supply, ie not to leave Greece without fuel and without energy.” The “second pillar” said “it is about ensuring affordable energy prices” and recalled the measures taken by the government to support households and businesses. At the same time, he stressed that “Greece gives subsidies that correspond to 1.5% to 2% of the country’s GDP, when the average support in the rest of Europe is 0.6% of the GDP of other countries.” In fact, as he pointed out, “Greece gives more money than any other European country, in proportion to its economy and population, to support and protect households from the truly explosive energy crisis.”

Speaking about the next day of the energy crisis, Costas Skrekas said that “with the strategy we are drawing up now, we will ensure in the coming years that regardless of situations we will have affordable electricity and gas prices in Greece, in a way that will be predictable and will gives a competitive advantage to our country “. “In order to achieve this,” he continued, “we ensure diversification of sources of supply and triple the country’s potential to import liquefied natural gas, so that Greece emerges as a key gateway for liquefied natural gas throughout Southeast Europe.” He also noted that “the government has made the necessary plans so that by 2030 70% of electricity will be produced from readable sources.”

For his part, the CEO of DEDA, Marios Tsakas referred to the changes that the supply of liquefied gas signals for Western Greece, saying the following:

“The project of expanding the natural gas distribution network in the region of Western Greece is unique and pioneering both for our country and for Europe, which brings out of energy isolation one of the most important and at the same time, most unfair geographical areas of the country. DEDA is coming to lift the blockade, applying for the first time in Greece the modern technology of liquefied natural gas, which is safe, innovative and environmentally milder. “They will have access to gas, while large investments will be mobilized that will contribute to the development of the local economy and the reduction of unemployment, by creating many new jobs.”

The president of DEDA, Vassilis Kotronis, speaking at the event, noted: “Today marks for Patras, Agrinio and Pyrgos, the beginning of the largest energy project, with direct benefit to the citizen, since the time of their electrification. gas networks amounting to 42.3 million euros for the three cities by 2023, are coming to change the energy footprint of the region of Western Greece “.

The governor of Western Greece, Nektarios Farmakis stressed in his speech that “today is a day of new hope for the whole of Western Greece, since our vision for a place where gas will reach everywhere, is not canceled and is not suspended,” adding “On the contrary, we have worked hard and with a plan to be able to say that local gas networks will be the valuable foundation on which a much more extensive gas flow network will later be built, which will no longer reach tankers in tanks, but through a pipeline “.

The governor also said that “the first households and the first businesses will be able to connect to the gas network in a few months”, noting that “this is a project co-financed through the Region by the European Regional Development Fund and provides for construction of a 208 km network, which will connect thousands of domestic, commercial and industrial users with natural gas in the three major cities, namely Patras, Agrinio and Pyrgos “. He also said that based on the design, the following connections are provided:

– For the city of Patras, the connection of 5,747 residential users is foreseen instead of 3,747 of the old program as well as 178 commercial and 20 industrial users.

– For the city of Agrinio, the connection of 2,824 domestic users is foreseen instead of 724, as well as 232 commercial and 3 industrial users.

– For the city of Pyrgos, the connection of 607 home users is foreseen instead of 347, as well as 51 commercial users.

During the event, the mayor of Pyrgos, Panagiotis Antonakopoulos and the mayor of Agrinio, George Papanastasiou addressed greetings.

Source: AMPE