The Ten-Year Development Plan (TYDP) of the National Natural Gas System Operator (DESFA) for the period 2023-2032 was set in public consultation until 3/3.
DESFA's new TYDP includes projects with a total budget of €1.27 billion, being significantly enhanced (+55%) compared to the corresponding previous investment plan, in order to strengthen the provision of uninterrupted capacity to all the Users of NNGS, allowing at the same time increased exports of natural gas from Greece to the wider region, towards the consolidation of the country as a natural gas supply gateway for Southeast and Central Europe.
In particular, the TYDP under consultation includes new projects amounting to €458 million, of which €430 million concern investments to increase the capacity of the system by strengthening the flexibility of the network and decongesting critical sections of the NNGS, which will ensure the optimal utilization and coordinated operation of the existing, under construction and planned infrastructures (TAP, ICGB, FSRU Alexandroupolis, Dioriga Gas, etc.).
Among these projects, the "Duplication of the YP Karperi - Komotini branch" stands out, through the construction of a 215 km long new pipeline, with a budget of €290 million parallel to the existing network. The new pipeline will be 100% ready for the transport of hydrogen, while it will have multiple benefits for the Greek market. In particular, it will ensure the provision of uninterrupted capacity to and from the Virtual Trading Point (VTP) at all Entry and Exit Points of the specific branch.
Moreover, the "Duplication of the Patima-Livadeia YP branch", through the construction of a new 100 km long pipeline is proposed, parallel to the route of the existing pipeline. This is a €140m infrastructure project primarily intended to provide uninterrupted capacity to future users of the Dioriga Gas Floating Storage and Gasification Unit (FSRU) and is therefore proposed to be implemented subject to the Final Investment Decision of Dioriga Gas.
Finally, the "Duplication of the high-pressure branch Livadeia-Karperi and Compression Stations" is proposed, with the aim of further eliminating the existing bottlenecks of the NNGS, which will allow a large upgrade of the quantities of natural gas for transit to the neighboring countries. The specific project, with a potential total length of 340 km, can be implemented as a fully modular project, with the gradual construction of its sections and the addition of compression stations and dimensions which will be fully determined after the completion of the relevant market test process, which DESFA is expected to start within February, to evaluate new capacity requests from existing and new users. For this reason, there has not yet been an estimate of the required investment for this project.
The rest of the new projects consist of investments of €13 million for the technological upgrade, modernization and maintenance of the NNGS, as well as innovative projects of €15 million related to the acceleration of the energy transition and decarbonization of the system through the appropriate investments for the reduction of methane emissions, the development of a pyrolysis pilot project as well as the connection of DESFA’s network with the planned hydrogen valley in Western Macedonia, for the injection of green hydrogen into the existing network.
In DESFA's TYDP for the period 2023-2032, already approved projects remain, updated in terms of schedule and budget, where this was needed, such as the Pipeline to North Macedonia, the Pipeline to West Macedonia whose construction has already started, the Pipeline to Patras, as well as the compression stations in Komotini, Nea Mesimvria and Ampelia. Finally, the new Small Scale LNG Jetty at the Revithoussa LNG Terminal is included, as well as a series of small scale LNG facilities to supply the areas of Aspros, Naoussa and Kalamata.
