The Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal in Alexandroupolis and the Greece-Bulgaria pipeline will allow the diversification of gas supply sources not only for the two countries but for all countries in the region and not only for the members of the European Union, said the Minister of Energy. of Bulgaria Alexander Nikolov speaking at the Athens Energy Dialogues 2022 conference held in Athens.
“In the last 2-3 weeks we have looked at the European market and found that all potential is engaged. This means that the Alexandroupolis station is absolutely critical. Even if the war ends today, the economic consequences and dependence on Russia will remain. “The question is why we did not act precautionarily and it does not only concern Bulgaria but the whole of Europe. Whether we like it or not we have to look in the mirror to find our mistakes to find the right solutions,” Nikolov said.
The Alexandroupolis station is expected to be completed in 2023 while the Greek-Bulgarian pipeline is scheduled to operate in the summer.
Mr Nikolov was in favor of ensuring European unity in enforcing sanctions on Russia. “We are stronger when we are united,” he said. implementation in countries where the energy sector is controlled by the state. Referring to the fact that Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Bulgaria in late April, Nikolov noted that Serbia and Hungary are supplied through the Bulgarian grid. “We could do the same thing, stop the flow like Gazprom did, but we did not do it. We want to be a reliable partner, if we do not support each other it will create chaos,” he concluded.
In a message to the conference, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Zorana Mihajlovic stressed that the interconnection of the Serbian with the Bulgarian gas network will enable the supply of natural gas to the Serbian market through Greece, while proposing expansion of cooperation. , energy storage and hydrogen production.
NTUA energy economics professor Pantelis Kapros stressed that strategically Europe can not maintain such a large and threatening dependence on natural gas. “The role of gas must be reduced immediately, all countries must fundamentally reconsider their energy planning to adapt to the new reality and reduce the threat to security of supply. It is an opportunity but also a challenge,” he said. Theodoros Tsakiris, Assistant Professor of Energy Policy and Geopolitics at the University of Nicosia, spoke about the internal inconsistencies of the European Repower EU program, which aims to de-depend on gas, stressing that the bulk of the project’s funding comes from loans to many countries. – members appear hesitant in order not to burden the public debt.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
