ELPEDISON submitted today an application to the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE), for the issuance of an Independent Natural Gas System (ASFA) License. The new project, "Thessaloniki FSRU", which will consist of a Floating Storage & Gasification Unit of Liquefied Natural Gas (FSRU), will be developed in Thermaikos Gulf off Thessaloniki and is expected to operate in 2025.
The FSRU will have a storage capacity of 170,000 square meters Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and will be able to deliver up to 20 million cubic meters gas per day. The project will also include a system of on-shore and underwater pipelines that will connect the FSRU with the power plants of ELPEDISON in Thessaloniki (one existing and one under design), as well as with the existing pipelines of the NSRF (ESFA) in the area.
The construction of the "Thessaloniki FSRU" will strengthen the security of supply, allowing expanded access to the gas markets and contributing to the decongestion of the National Gas Transmission System. At the same time, it will be a point of supply for ships with LNG fuel for the port of Thessaloniki.
The operation of the FSRU will give ELPEDISON greater flexibility in the activity of imports and management of natural gas, especially in peak periods. It is also a means to increase commercial opportunities in Greece and abroad as well as to optimize the management and operation of power plants. In particular, it will enable the supply chain to operate more efficiently by seizing market opportunities, including flexibility in cargo management and in the optimization of LNG storage, contributing to the overall increase of moving gas volumes and, ultimately, to the country’s security of supply.