The operation of the new EU Energy Platform for pooling demand and joint natural gas purchases was discussed on Tuesday in a meeting held by the Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas with representatives of energy companies and relevant executives.
Skrekas said that Greece supports the launch of the new European platform in mid-April and pointed out that its creation was one of the structural proposals put forward by the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as was the mechanism for imposing a price cap on natural gas.
The new platform, implemented in the context of the European Regulation to strengthen solidarity, aims to better coordinate natural gas purchases and infrastructure, so that Europe becomes collectively more resilient in times of crisis, instead of generating competition between its member-states.
The main objective of the platform is to strengthen Europe’s bargaining power in order to attract reliable gas suppliers on favourable terms, and to ensure energy security for the winter of 2023/2024.
The meeting was attended by representatives of PPC, DEPA Commerce, the companies MYTILINEOS, ELPEDISON, HERON, Prometheus GAS and EBIKEN, as well as Nikolas Tsafos, Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office on energy issues and Nektaria Karakatsani, Special Advisor to the Minister of Energy on energy issues policy.
The Environment and Energy Minister stated that the Greek government will encourage both natural gas importers and consumers to explore and exploit the new possibilities of the platform.
“Establishing the platform will be an important energy security tool for the country and an additional opportunity for suppliers to secure quantities on competitive terms and meet stock targets for next winter,” he added.
Skrekas stated that this was a platform for coordination and solidarity between member-states, which will contribute to transparency and flexibility, bringing tangible benefits to citizens and businesses.
He also highlighted the green role of the new platform, as in the future it will act as the structure for common green hydrogen markets: “Our government is dynamically transforming Greece into a natural gas and green energy hub. We are rapidly developing critical infrastructure, as well as market tools, which upgrade our geopolitical footprint.”
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
