Maximou: ‘Greece is and will remain energy safe’

The meeting on energy efficiency was completed, after yesterday’s decisions of Gazprom, chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

As stressed during the meeting, there is energy adequacy and no disruption to the country’s supply is expected. The next payments to Gazprom will be made in the third 10 days of May. Greece is and will remain energy safe.

It should also be noted that the Ministry of Energy has already announced a detailed plan to meet energy needs in any development.

The solutions considered

In general, the Maximos Palace and the financial staff are determined to use every available resource to shield households, consumers and businesses, without derailing the fiscal balance.

In the quiver of the government is the operation of lignite plants instead of natural gas units, as well as the supply of gas in larger quantities from alternative sources (TAP pipeline).

The diesel operation of natural gas units that can run on other fuels is also being examined, as well as the acceleration of procedures for new floating liquefied natural gas storage units in Revythousa and Alexandroupolis.

According to information, among the solutions that are being considered, without the relevant decisions having been made yet, is the intervention in the wholesale price of electricity.

At the same time, at the… table of discussions there is the possibility of reducing VAT on basic food items, while a move towards increasing welfare benefits is not ruled out, in order to support the most vulnerable groups of the population.

Assistance to Bulgaria

Earlier today, Kyriakos Mitsotakis had a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov, in which the Prime Minister stated that Greece will assist Bulgaria to deal with the new situation caused for the country by the Russian decisions in the energy sector.

A Greek source told Reuters that Athens could help Sofia by reversing the flow of the TurkStream pipeline, a mechanism that has been used in the past. The pipeline brings Russian gas to Greece via the Black Sea, Turkey and Bulgaria.

In a telephone conversation, the Greek Prime Minister also said that the gas connection between the two countries, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) project, should be ready by June, as stated by the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov. “[Ο κ. Μητσοτάκης] “It also confirmed joint efforts to diversify through liquefied natural gas,” Petkov added.

Five LNG deliveries are reportedly scheduled for May, two of which are destined for Bulgaria. In June, two more LNG shipments that will arrive in our country will be directed to Bulgaria.

Finally, it is noted that today’s meeting was attended by the Minister of Environment and Energy Costas Skrekas, the Ministers of State George Gerapetritis and Akis Skertsos, the Deputy Minister under the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman Giannis Oikonomis, the Deputy Secretary General European Union, Ambassador Ioannis Vrailas, the President of RAE Thanos Dagoumas, the CEO of DEPA Konstantinos Xifaras, the President and CEO of PPC George Stassis, the Deputy Government Spokesman Aristoleia Director of the Press Office of the Prime Minister Dimitris Tsiodras.