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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 8
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
Long-term natural gas projects like the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria, the Interconnector Greece-North Macedonia, the Alexandroupoli FSRU, and the South Kavala underground gas storage tender are critically important for securing access to diverse energy supplies, Trend quoted the US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey R. Pyatt as saying.
Addressing the 5th Cretan Energy Conference, the US envoy noted that just as large natural gas reservoirs have been discovered at Zohr, Calypso, and Aphrodite in the Eastern Mediterranean, offshore exploration in Greece holds the potential to help Greece meet its energy requirements in the short term, even as the government accelerates its focus on renewable sources.
The United States sees natural gas as a bridge fuel to a greener future that can help Greece and its neighbors quickly reduce their emissions and accelerate the retirement of lignite power, he added.
Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG confirmed on Dec. 31, 2020 the commencement of gas flows from Azerbaijan. The first gas has reached Greece and Bulgaria, via the Nea Mesimvria interconnection point with DESFA, as well as Italy, via the Melendugno interconnection point with SNAM Rete Gas (SRG). TAP has to date transported nearly 3 billion cubic meters of gas.
As a key part of the Southern Gas Corridor, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline is strategically and economically important to Europe and essential in providing reliable access to a new source of natural gas.
The IGB project enables the transmission of gas and supplies from new sources, making it key to Bulgaria's energy security and part of the national plan for diversification of gas sources. The capacity of the project is 3 billion cubic meters with the option to reach 5 billion cubic meters. Half of the capacity of the interconnector is already reserved, as four of the shippers are completely new to the Bulgarian market. A contract has been signed for the supply of 1 billion cubic meters from Shah Deniz 2 based on a long-term contract with Bulgargaz.
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