Greece turning into gas hub - KATHIMERINI

23.JAN.2022 • 10:29
Chryssa Liaggou

Greece will add two more liquefied natural gas terminals for storage and gasification, thereby strengthening its gas supply security and obtaining a strong role in transit by making the most of its strategic location and its new corridors for the supply of Europe and the Balkans.

Greek energy groups want to make the most of the opportunity of gas being the bridge fuel on the way to clean energy, and of Balkan countries’ need to diversify their sources and not be so reliant on Gazprom. They have therefore designed and are promoting infrastructure for their entry into the Greek LNG system. The fuel will use Greece’s pipelines (the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria and its connectors, and the plan for the interconnection with North Macedonia) to reach the neighboring countries and reduce their dependence on Turkey, which besides hosting pipelines has also invested in LNG infrastructure, making it a hub for Southeast Europe.

Gazprom signs contract with Mytilineos to supply gas to Greece until 2030 - TASS

1 JUN 2020, 18:39

MOSCOW /TASS/ Gazprom Export, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, and Greece’s Mytilineos S.A. concluded a long-term contract for the supply of natural gas, the Russian company said. The contract provides for the delivery of gas to Greece from 2020 to 2030.

The document was signed by Vice Chair of the Gazprom Management Committee, Director General of Gazprom Export, Elena Burmistrova and Chairman of the Board, General Director of Mytilineos S.A., Evangelos Mytilineos.

"The cooperation between Gazprom Export and Mytilineos proves the demand for Russian gas on the Greek market and will further strengthen the interaction of our countries in the energy sector," Burmistrova said.

"This long-term contract will strengthen Mytilineos’s competitiveness in the region’s gas market and make a significant contribution to maximizing the efficiency of our assets in industry and the electric power industry," Mitilineos added.

Greek gas utility DEPA says wins case over supply deal with Turkey's BOTAS - REUTERS

JANUARY 16, 2020 / 12:47 PM

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece’s state-controlled gas utility DEPA, earmarked for privatization this year, has won a legal case over a supply deal with Turkish state energy company BOTAS, DEPA said on Thursday.

The International Court of Arbitration (ICC) ruled on Wednesday that BOTAS should cut retrospectively the contractual gas prices that DEPA has paid, DEPA said in a statement.

The ruling is the last step in a 10-year legal battle between DEPA and BOTAS and its impact is being assessed by DEPA, it added.

A source with knowledge of the matter said new pricing would apply from 2011 to the present and that DEPA had paid BOTAS $181 million under a previous ruling of the arbitration court as part of the legal case which started in 2009.

BOTAS was not immediately available to comment.

Russia begins TurkStream gas flows to Greece - REUTERS

JANUARY 5, 2020 / 1:48 PM

SOFIA (Reuters) - Russia has started European gas deliveries through the new TurkStream pipeline to Turkey, Bulgaria’s Bulgartransgaz said on Sunday, as Moscow looks to reduce shipments via Ukraine.

Russia is building TurkStream and doubling the capacity of NordStream across the Baltic Sea to Germany as part of plans to bypass Ukraine in its gas deliveries to Europe.

“Russian gas deliveries not only for us but also for Greece and North Macedonia are being carried through the new entry point (at our Turkish border),” Bulgartransgaz CEO Vladimir Malinov told Bulgarian national radio BNR.

Russian gas producer Gazprom started shipping about 3 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to Bulgaria via TurkStream on January 1, replacing a route that formerly passed through Ukraine and Romania.

Botas LNG purchase tender seeks US, Russian supply - OIL & GAS EURASIA

01.NOV.2019

Turkey’s Botas issued a tender to purchase 70 cargoes of LNG (liquefied natural gas) for delivery over 2020-2023, two days after the US lifted sanctions.

The US imposed sanctions earlier in October in response to Turkey’s military offensive in northern Syria. The LNG tender will close on Nov. 8.

Heavily dependent on pipeline gas imports from Russia, Turkey is aiming to reduce Russian imports and diversify its gas sources. It has already reduced flows from Russia’s Gazprom significantly this year, while increasing LNG purchases and gas imports from Azerbaijan.

Botas buys LNG on a long-term basis from Nigeria and Algeria. The contract with Nigeria expires in 2021, while a deal with Algeria’s Sonatrach runs until late 2024. There is also a mid-term contract with Qatargas expiring next year.

The degree to which Turkey will increase its LNG imports depends however on price. The Turkish news site yenisafak.com quoted Danila Bochkarev, a senior fellow at the EastWest Institute, as saying: “LNG should be cheaper than pipeline gas in order to gain an additional share of the Turkish market.”

Cheaper Natural Gas From July 1 - NOVINITE

June 28, 2019, Friday // 13:21

Natural gas has been cheaper starting from July 1. This is decided by the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation. The price of the blue fuel will drop by 0.6%.

The gas price approved by the Commission for the third quarter amounts to BGN 44.90 / MWh (excluding access, transmission, excise and VAT), which represents a decrease of 0.27 BGN / MWh or 0.60% compared to the current price for the second quarter of 2019.

At the approved gas price of BGN 44.90 / MWh, the "gas price at the entrance of the gas transmission grid" is included in the amount of BGN 43.97 / MWh, the "public supply" to 0.80 BGN / MWh.

During the approval of the price of natural gas KEVR takes into account the conditions under the current contract between Bulgargaz EAD and OAO Gazprom Export, the changes in the USD exchange rate against the BGN, the calorific value and the quantities of natural gas for the respective quarter.

Italy opposes Poseidon gas pipeline landfall - REUTERS

MAY 7, 2019 / 7:37 PM

ROME, May 7 (Reuters) - Italy will not allow the Poseidon gas pipeline being developed by Italy’s Edison and Greece’s DEPA to make landfall as planned in southern Italy, the Prime Minister said on Tuesday.

The Poseidon pipeline, which has permits to run from Greece to the southern town of Otranto, is the final section of the EastMed pipeline that aims to bring gas reserves from the east Mediterranean to Italy.

TEKMOR Note: The Poseidon pipeline was planned as the last leg of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) to transport gas from Azerbaijan via TANAP & TAP long before the idea of East Med Pipeline came into being!

“The government is certainly not interested at present in building the final tract of Poseidon as originally planned,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at an event near Rome.

Two years ago DEPA and Edison signed a cooperation agreement with Russia’s Gazprom to set up joint efforts to create a southern route for gas into Europe.

The United States has been pressuring EU member states to find alternative natural gas supply sources not involving Russia.

Greece’s DEPA to Begin Selling Natural Gas to Bulgaria - GREEK REPORTER

Apr 3, 2019Tasos Kokkinidis

Greek energy provider DEPA on Tuesday became the first Western company to strike a deal with Bulgaria’s state-owned Bulgargaz to provide natural gas to the country.

This is the first time Bulgaria has ever bought gas from another provider outside its long-term contract with Russia’s Gazprom. Currently, more than 95 percent of the Balkan country’s gas needs are met by supplies from Gazprom, and the product is delivered through a pipeline which crosses Ukraine, Moldova and Romania.

Bulgargaz will complete the purchase of 1.5 million megawatt hours of fuel from DEPA in the second quarter, pumping the gas into its Chiren underground storage facility, the company said on Tuesday.

Bulgargaz said DEPA had offered the lowest price in a tender in which the state provider also received offers from Bulgaria’s Dexia Company and the Dutch-registered Kolmar NL.

The deal was hailed by the United States Ambassador to Athens Geoffrey Pyatt, who tweeted that the development was “another welcome example of Greece’s growing role as a facilitator of European energy diversification.”

State veto rights for DEPA Trade despite minority stake - ENERGY PRESS

28/FEB/2019

Investors preparing for gas utility DEPA’s upcoming privatization will face ambiguous operating conditions as the Greek State, to begin by offering a majority 50.1 percent stake in DEPA Trade following an imminent company split ahead of the sale, is expected to maintain veto rights on a number of strategic matters despite its minority status in this trade venture.

Key issues to concern DEPA Trade will include the gas utility’s long-term agreements with major suppliers such as Russia’s Gazprom, Algeria’s Sonatrach and Turkey’s Botas.

DEPA’s contract with Gazprom, which runs until 2026 and is the biggest of all three, features a take-or-pay clause requiring the Greek gas utility to order no less than 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year or face fines.

DEPA’s supply agreements with Sonatrach and Botas both expire in 2021. The Botas agreement will not be extended as the soon-to-be-launched TAP project will provide direct supply to Greece from Azerbaijan. DEPA has already signed an agreement for one billion cubic meters of TAP-related natural gas per year.

Subsequently, the Greek State will maintain its influence over DEPA’s supply contracts with Sonatrach and Gazprom.

Serbia ready to begin construction of its TurkStream section — Srbijagas - TASS

February 08, 6:27 UTC+3

BELGRADE, February 8. /TASS/. The Serbian side is ready to begin the construction of its section of the TurkStream gas pipeine to run from the Bulgarian to the Hungarian border, national gas company Srbijagas has said.

"Serbia is ready for the construction of this project, the first 300 million euro have already been secured, the construction is to begin in late March or early April. The construction is to be completed by December 15," Srbijagas Director General Dusan Bajatovic said at a session of the parliamentary Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy on Thursday.

The official added that "there should be no obstacles" on behalf of the Energy Community, an international organization established between the European Union and a number of third countries to extend the EU internal energy market to Southeast Europe and beyond.

Earlier, the Energy Community’s secretariat has expressed its opinion on the project, which Serbia deemed favorable. This opinion should serve as a basis for a permission from Serbia’s energy authority. After that, the construction can begin.

Dreams versus reality in the push for Cyprus gas - CYPRUS MAIL

DECEMBER 16, 2018
Charles Ellinas

Cyprus on the brink of big decisions on energy was the subject of the Sixth Energy Symposium organised by the Institute of Energy North-East Europe (IENE) and Financial Media Way (FMW) in Nicosia on December 4.

The key message was that hydrocarbons offer serious opportunities that with careful handling can benefit Cyprus geopolitics and economy as well as the wider region.

In their introductory speeches, the organisers of the symposium, IENE executive director, Costis Stambolis, and managing director of FMW, Iosef Iosef, said the symposium stressed the success and significance of the energy profile of Cyprus internationally.

President Nicos Anastasiades, in his opening speech described the three pillars that guide the government’s energy plans:

• Development of hydrocarbons, that belong to all legal citizens of Cyprus
• Overcoming Cyprus’ energy isolation and developing other energy sources, including renewables
• Close energy cooperation with those neighbouring countries that are willing partners.

He talked about the drive to create an East Med Energy Corridor to connect East Med’s hydrocarbon resources to Europe. This includes LNG exports, as well as the East Med pipeline. He considers this to be key in terms of contributing to EU’s energy needs.

Growing Dependent On Russia: The Gas Routes In Europe - FORBES

Dec 12, 2018, 12:05pm
Annalisa Girardi

This year Italy has become the second largest buyer of Russian natural gas, outdoing Turkey. Rome and Moscow historically have had close commercial ties within the energy sector, being Eni, an oil and gas Italian company and one of the largest multinationals in the sector, the first Western business to become a commercial partner to the Kremlin. This year Italy has become Russia’s second market, buying 18,3 billion cubic meters gas, against the 17,9 billion cubic meters acquired by Ankara. According to Bloomberg, Germany remains far in its first place, with 42,7 billion cubic meters gas purchased from Siberian gas fields.

Russian gas is a precious resource for Italy since it provides more than one-third of its total domestic demand. Natural gas originated in Russia reaches Italy mainly through the Trans Austria Gas (TAG) pipeline, a 380 kilometers duct hold at 89% by Eni. At this moment, 40% of national requirements are met by Gazprom, the Russian business that is also a major oil and gas companies worldwide, as well as being state-owned at 50%. The rest of Italian energy needs are mainly covered at 25% by Algeria and at 6% by Libya, while the country imports from Qatar the majority of liquefied natural gas which is later processed at the regasification plants.

Putin says TurkStream Gas Pipeline Could be Extended via Greece - ASIAN OIL & GAS

Friday, 07 December 2018 04:19

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the TurkStream gas pipeline could be extended further into Europe via Greece, as he met Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Moscow.

The first line of TurkStream, which runs from Russia to Turkey via the Black Sea bed, is intended for Turkish consumption only. Russia has said that a second line will also end in Turkey and Europe must choose the route and build the extension itself.

Several routes, including via Greece and Bulgaria, are under consideration.

"We are ready for implementation of large-scale infrastructure energy projects jointly with Greece. This is also about connecting southern Europe to TurkStream via Greece," Putin said at a joint briefing with Tsipras in Moscow.

Gazprom is building TurkStream to bypass Ukraine, the key route used to ship Russian gas to Europe, amid political tension.

Its two lines will each have a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic metres of gas per year, with the first due to be operational by the end of 2019. 

Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Polya Ivanova; Editing by Kirsten Donovan

TurkStream: Who profits, who loses out? - DW

19.Nov.2018

Nik Martin

As Turkey and Russia inaugurate the sea section of the TurkStream gas pipeline, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can boast of Ankara's new geopolitical influence. DW asks why the pipeline is causing such a fuss.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday marked the completion of the offshore phase of TurkStream, a natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries.

Erdogan told reporters TurkStream would be ready to operate in 2019 after tests are carried out, while Putin said the pipeline would make Turkey a "major European hub." The tie-up with Moscow would "without a doubt influence the geopolitical standing of the Turkish Republic."

The new energy cooperation comes despite Moscow severing ties with Ankara three years ago after a Turkish fighter jet shot down a Russian warplane on the Syrian border.

Management Committee reviews progress of TurkStream project - GAZPROM

September 5, 2018, 16:40

The Gazprom Management Committee reviewed the current status of the TurkStream project.

It was noted that the project was going according to schedule. Specifically, the deep-water pipelaying for the offshore part of the gas pipeline’s first string had been completed in the Black Sea along with the construction of the second string in Russia’s exclusive economic zone. On June 26, 2018, the Pioneering Spirit vessel had started to lay the second string in the Turkish exclusive economic zone. As of today, over 1,520 kilometers of the two strings are ready, which translates into about 81 per cent of the overall length of TurkStream’s offshore section.

Particular attention at the meeting was paid to the efforts being taken on the coasts of Russia and Turkey. It was highlighted that the landfall near the Russian town of Anapa had been completed and the continuing start-up and commissioning operations would be finished in 2018 together with landscaping. In addition, a receiving terminal is being constructed in the coastal area near the Turkish settlement of Kiyikoy.

TurkStream's 2nd Leg to Become Operational by December 2019 – Turkish Minister - SPUTNIK NEWS

08.08.2018 15:21

ANKARA (Sputnik) - The second leg of the TurkStream gas pipeline is expected to be put into service by December 31, 2019, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said Wednesday, citing information provided by Russian energy giant Gazprom, which is involved in the construction project.

"The construction of the offshore portion of the first leg of TurkStream has been completed. Gazprom built it on its own. They covered a 930 kilometer [578 mile] route. Now, construction of the land portion is underway. Gazprom continues laying down the second leg of the offshore part [of the pipeline]. Gazprom has notified us of the date [it will become operational] — December 31, 2019," Donmez told A Haber TV Channel.

The TurkStream pipeline will have a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters (556 billion cubic feet) per year. One leg is expected to supply natural gas solely for Turkish consumption.

The second leg will transport gas to European countries through Turkey, and is scheduled for completion in 2019. Gazprom is considering options for extending the pipeline through Bulgaria and Serbia or through Greece and Italy.

Pioneering Spirit Resumes Work on TurkStream Pipeline - MARITIME EXECUTIVE

2018-JUNE-28, 17:54:38

Less than a month after completing a successful platform installation off Norway, the Pioneering Spirit has resumed pipelay work on the TurkStream pipeline under the Black Sea. She has had a busy year: she finished building the pipeline's first string on April 30, exited the Black Sea on May 2, installed a 22,000 tonne topsides unit at the Johan Sverdrup field off Norway in early June, and entered the Black Sea once more on June 20.

Upon her return at the TurkStream site, the Pioneering Spirit conducted preparatory work, including stinger deployment and pipelay equipment checks. Once she was ready, the unfinished head of the second pipeline string was recovered from the bottom of the Black Sea, at a depth of 7,100 feet. The initial 120 nm section of the second string was built in 2017, and was only completed up to the Russian-Turkish EEZ border.

New Players Enter The European Gas Game - OIL PRICE

Jun 10, 2018, 12:00 PM CDT
Vanand Meliksetian

The expansion of the European Union in 2004 and 2007 indirectly led to several crises at a level not seen since the oil embargo of 1973. The accession of several former Warschau pact countries introduced an extra dimension to European politics: Russia. Due to historical reasons some of these countries have a high dependency concerning hydrocarbons on their large eastern neighbour. Several serious disputes concerning supply, pricing, and debt between Moscow and Kiev from 2005 until 2009 led to disruptions in supply to EU member states. These conflicts highlighted the need for reduced dependency on Russia.

During this period the search for alternative sources was already on its way, but the shutdown of gas supplies as a consequence of these disputes accelerated the process. The completion of two LNG liquefication plants in Poland and Lithuania has decreased the dependency of this region on Russia. The south-eastern flank of the EU, however, is in a direr state. In order to alleviate dependency, the European Commission obstructed construction of the South Stream pipeline from Russia through the Black Sea to Bulgaria.

TurkStream Line 1 Completed - GAZPROM

April 30, 2018, 12:00

Today at the Black Sea coast of Turkey, the deep-water pipelay for Line 1 of the TurkStream offshore gas pipeline has been completed.

The average rate of the deep-water pipelay carried out by the pipelaying vessel Pioneering Spirit was 4.3 km/day. The maximum pipelaying rate – 5.6 km/day – was reached twice in February 2018.

In accordance with the schedule, the project is being simultaneously implemented on shore in Russia and Turkey and in the Black Sea. The receiving terminal is being constructed near the settlement of Kiyiköy, Turkey. Upon completion of the landfall sections the works on the first line will be completed.

Following the works schedule, Pioneering Spirit will continue the deep-water pipelay of Line 2 in the third quarter of 2018.

'Implementation of the TurkStream Project carries forward successfully. We have reached an important milestone – the completion of Line 1. Progress is moving at a high rate. Since 7 May 2017, when we started the pipelaying campaign, the total of 1,161 km of pipes has been laid, which is 62% of the overall gas pipeline length. Needless to say, TurkStream will play a significant role in strengthening energy security of Turkey and Europe', said Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Management Committee of Gazprom PJSC.

Israel, Cyprus, Greece to push EastMed gas pipeline to Europe at May summit - NEW EUROPE

APRIL 8, 2018, 01:19
Kostis Geropoulos

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on April 4 with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and “among the issues discussed were advancing the feasibility study for laying a gas pipeline from Israel to Cyprus and from there to Greece and Western Europe,” the office of the Israeli prime minister said.

“The leaders noted that they are looking forward to the trilateral summit next month,” Netanyahu’s office said in a press release. The summit will be held in Nicosia.

Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company [former] CEO Charles Ellinas told New Europe on April 6 that Netanyahu, Anastasiades and Tsipras were planning to meet early January but the meeting was postponed without clear explanations, other than perhaps the UN votes on the issue of Jerusalem.

Ellinas noted that nevertheless the meeting is important in terms of contributing to maintaining close relationships between Israel, Cyprus and Greece. However, he said, the meeting has to be seen what it actually is, as a political meeting to facilitate and eventually sign an inter-governmental agreement on the EastMed gas pipeline.

“Even though essential in facilitating the pipeline, going from there to actually building such a pipeline requires commercial feasibility, participation by the oil and gas industry and financial institutions to fund it and build it and, above all, gas sales to customers in Europe,” Ellinas said. “None of these is anywhere near materialising. Without them this project remains on the table as politically desirable but commercially challenging, unless it secures a substantial subsidy from the EU, which I consider unlikely,” he added.