Greece's Komotini and Ampelia gas compressor stations are set to be commissioned in the coming weeks, increasing the country's northbound flow capacity, gas system operator Desfa chief executive Maria Rita Galli told Argus in an interview at the Gastech conference in Milan last week.
Commissioning of the Ampelia station will begin in October, while the Komotini station will be commissioned when LNG terminal operator Gastrade's 4.3mn t/yr Alexandroupolis facility returns to offering full capacity following maintenance, which is expected on 1 October, Galli said.
The two stations will increase Greece's northbound export capacity, including through the vertical corridor project that will supply more gas to central and eastern Europe, and through the route 1, 2 and 3 projects offering discounted bundled capacity to Ukraine. This could help some countries that presently rely on Russian gas to replace that supply with LNG, Galli said.
The two compressor stations are the main projects on the Greek side to unlock greater northbound capacity through the vertical corridor, Galli said. Increased Bulgarian compressor capacity is also required, and completion of this is "more a matter of 2-3 months rather than years", Galli said. Interconnector works to increase capacity from Romania and Bulgaria have also started, she added. Full technical capacity on the vertical corridor will be available from early 2027 at the latest, Galli said.
Desfa is planning to continue to offer capacity through the route 1 product to Ukraine, and has received requests to offer quarterly capacity. Desfa is seeing interest "in particular over the winter", Galli said.
But market participants have been slow to book capacity on route 1, citing high transit costs and concerns about the legality of the discounted integrated product. Galli quashed these concerns, stating that five regulatory authorities have approved the route, which they would not have done if something was materially non-compliant. A similar route 2 from Greece to Ukraine has also garnered little interest because of high transit costs, with market participants estimating the cost at around €10-12/MWh.
The increased northbound flow capacity created by the Ampelia and Komotini stations will only be sufficient for supply from one additional Greek LNG import terminal, Galli said. Desfa is currently seeking feedback — on behalf of utility Elpedison — on a potential new LNG import terminal in Thessaloniki. Demand will likely be strong, given the need to replace Russian gas, Galli said. But any terminal additions beyond Thessaloniki would require additional grid infrastructure, Galli said. This suggests a fourth Greek import terminal would be uneconomical — echoing Galli's comments from last year.
Galli played down the potential for competition from existing Turkish LNG terminals for central and southeastern European customers, stating that the market values the transparency of the Greek grid.
Desfa is planning to add bio-LNG services at its Revithoussa terminal, as LNG and bio-LNG bunkering demand is set to grow following the start of FuelEU maritime regulations this year.
