BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 4. Greece has achieved energy independence through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the county’s minister of foreign affairs George Gerapetritis said speaking at the Hellenic Parliament, Trend reports via Greek media.
“Greece has emerged as a pivotal energy hub in recent years. We have bolstered our energy security by weaning ourselves off natural gas following the war in Ukraine, while also assisting our neighbors with supplies of both natural gas and electricity. We have achieved independence through TAP and Azerbaijan,” he said.
Gerapetritis pointed out that Greece has made significant strides in supporting Bulgaria's energy needs, particularly in the realm of natural gas supplies.
The minister recalled that when the flow from Russia halted, Greece swiftly initiated the IGB pipeline to ensure uninterrupted gas provision.
“Our efforts extend beyond Bulgaria; we're also providing gas to Moldova and advancing the development of the Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Alexandroupoli. Furthermore, we're constructing a pipeline to connect with North Macedonia while simultaneously expanding both the TAP and IGB pipelines. In the realm of electricity, we've established a vital new interconnection with Bulgaria, with plans to extend this network to Italy. Additionally, we're actively working on a new transmission line to Türkiye. These initiatives are fundamentally reshaping the energy landscape of the region, positioning Greece at its nucleus,” Gerapetritis added.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline is part of the Southern Gas Corridor, transporting natural gas to Europe from the Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan.
Connecting with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline at the Greek-Turkish border, TAP crosses Northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before coming ashore in Southern Italy to connect to the Italian natural gas network. TAP’s initial capacity is 10 billion cubic meters per year, which can be expanded to 20 billion cubic meters.
Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn