Energy Minister Wants All Gas Transportation Options Open
Friday, 11 July 2014
Speaking on Thursday at a two-day energy conference titled “Security of gas supply: The role of gas developments in the Mediterranean region”, the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis asked that all options on transporting natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe remain open and be evaluated from an economic and energy security perspective, ANA-MPA reported.
"The Vasilikos, Cyprus LNG terminal station's flexibility is an indisputable fact, which will allow gas to reach all markets worldwide. Greece, having one of the largest fleets in the world, would play a very important role in LNG transportation to the whole of Europe and beyond", stressed Maniatis.
He added that Greece is satisfied with the prospect of the EastMed pipeline, a project driven by DEPA and the Cypriot Energy Ministry. DEPA Group is the incumbent natural gas utility in Greece, responsible for the wholesale, trading, transmission, distribution and supply of natural gas.
According to Maniatis the EastMed project "is technically viable", stressing that there are studies which show that the pipeline would offer very competitive gas transporation fees, "about a third lower than those which concern LNG"