Alexandroupolis: The “foundation stone” is being laid for the natural gas power plant

The ceremony for the start of the implementation of the gas-fired power plant in Alexandroupolis is planned for January 14. The investment will be implemented by the company “Electric Power Generation of Alexandroupolis Monoprosopi S.A.” in which PPC participates with a percentage of 51%, DEPA Commercial with 29% and Damco Energy of the Kopelouzos group with 20%.

The new combined cycle unit (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine – CCGT) will be built in an area that is an important electricity and natural gas network “hub” in Northern Greece. In particular, the investment of approximately 350 million euros to 400 million euros is located near the Alexandroupolis floating storage and regasification unit – FSRU designed by Gastrade and both of the partners of the power plant, namely Damco Energy and DEPA Commercial. After all, this unit is located in the area so that natural gas can be supplied directly from Gastrade’s Alexandroupolis FSRU, minimizing the supply risk.

At the same time, the two infrastructures acquire geopolitical importance for the supply security of the wider region, as through the National Natural Gas Transmission System they will be able to be connected to the Interconnector Greece Bulgaria – IGB, exporting electricity to the neighboring Countries. Through the IGB, the gas will be able to continue its route to almost all Eastern European countries. Bulgaria is connected to Romania, Moldova and Ukraine via the Trans-Balkan Pipeline, while there is also a smaller Bulgaria-Romania interconnection under the Danube. Romania is also connected to Hungary.

Green energy transition

The three energy groups also look forward to the strategic role natural gas is expected to play as a transition fuel for the green energy transition in the coming years. It is no coincidence that, in addition to the inclusion in the system of the new natural gas units of Mytilineos in Agios Nikolaos, Voiotia (825 MW) at the beginning of 2023 and of Motor Oil – TERNA in Komotini (825 MW) at the beginning of 2025, judges that from 2026 – when the chimneys in the existing PPC lignite units will have been extinguished – there will be ( potentially) need to include an additional natural gas plant with a capacity of approximately 800 MW.

The license for the construction of the new 840 MW power plant in Alexandroupolis was granted by the Energy Regulatory Authority (RAE) in the spring of 2019 and is now on track for implementation as it will start construction in early 2023 to be operational by the end of 2025 .in a diplomatic way. Greece and Turkey are both strong partners and key NATO allies of the United States.”