Prospects for an Expanded South Corridor

Annoucement

 

"Prospects for an Expanded South Corridor”

An Afternoon Colloquium organized by IENE in association with KEPA

March 5, 2018,

Athens University History Museum (5 Tholou St., Plaka)

 

Natural gas is a relatively new fuel for the SE European region [1] while a number of countries, especially in the West Balkans do not yet include gas in their energy mix or they are only using minimal quantities. However, a number of major infrastructure projects are currently underway which are soon expected to facilitate the introduction and further use  of natural gas in this broader geographical area.

In view of these new projects now under development, a redefinition of the Southern Gas Corridor is in order and should be discussed by mapping all new potential gas supply sources and routes. Therefore, the concept of an Expanded South Corridor, which was first broached by IENE in January 2015 (at the European Gas Conference in Vienna), needs to be introduced and defined as such, to include all major gas trunk pipelines, LNG regasification terminals and UGS facilitieswhich will feed gas into the system which will then be directed towards the main European markets. In addition, this expanded South Corridor with its multiple gas entry points and linked underground gas storages and LNG facilities, will provide the necessary gas quantities for the operation of regional gas trading hub(s) thus strengthening the security of energy supply but also enhancing regional gas trade. An issue for further discussion In the afternoon colloquium will be the origin of gas volumes that are expected to flow through the TANAP-TAP gas pipeline system in 2020, and beyond this date,apart from Azeri gas.

In this afternoon colloquium, the important role of LNG will also be analysed because of its growing importance for the safe operation of gas networks in various countries and in view of its potentially crucial role in market development and competition. In this light, all ongoing and planned gas interconnection projects are examined together with the major cross-country gas pipelines currently under construction or in a development phase. In this context the key findings of IENE’s recently completed "Gas Supply in SE Europe and the Key Role of LNG” study will also be presented. This event is sponsored by Greece's Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) while www.energia.gr is the event media partner.

 



[1] The SE European region as defined by IENE comprises a group of 13 countries (i.e. Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, FYR of Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey).