- Revithoussa LNG Terminal played a significant role in natural gas imports, accounting for almost half (47.75%) of the total natural gas imports.
- Natural gas consumption by large industries directly connected to the transmission network and by CNG consumers increased by 54.85%.
- USA remains the primary source of LNG supply, representing 38.92% of total LNG imports.
- Domestic gas consumption decreased by 15.38% in the first nine months of 2023.
The consumption of natural gas in Greece decreased by 15.38% in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the previous year, according to DESFA’s data. During this period, Revithoussa Terminal served as the primary entry point for natural gas imports into the country, with the Sidirokastro entry point showing a decrease of around 30% compared to the same period in the previous year.
According to DESFA’s data, the domestic consumption of natural gas in Greece saw a decrease of 15.38% during the period from January to September 2023, totalling 38.07 Terawatt hours (TWh), compared to 44.98 TWh in the same period the previous year, with a milder winter playing a significant role in this decline. Notably, natural gas exports via NNGTS recording a decrease of 28.89%, compared to the previous year, with approximately 14.52 TWh exported. The primary reason for this decrease is the commencement of operations of the ICGB pipeline on October 1, 2022, which now transports Azeri natural gas to Bulgaria. Before this, Azeri gas was transported to the neighbouring country through the National Natural Gas Transmission System.
The decrease in domestic consumption resulted in a (proportionately) smaller decrease in the amount of natural gas imported into the country from the LNG Terminal in Revithoussa, which amounted to 47.75% of the total imports, registering a decrease of 13.69% compared to the first nine months of 2022. In particular, approximately 24.04 TWh of LNG were unloaded by 34 LNG carriers coming from 7 different countries, while for the same period in 2022 approximately 27,85 TWh LNG were unloaded by 60 LNG carriers. 38.92% of said LNG quantities came from USA, reaching 9.36 TWh. Russia ranked second with imports of 6.27 TWh, followed by Egypt (3.02 TWh), Algeria (2.97 TWh), Norway (0.97 TWh), Nigeria (0.94 TWh), and Spain (0.51 TWh).
A significant decrease of 30.7% was also recorded in the imports from the Sidirokastro entry point, which covered 30.72% of the total imports (16.18 TWh). Nea Messimvria entry point, responsible for gas delivery through the TAP pipeline, covered 18.34% of imports (9.66 TWh), while Kipi of Evros (Greek-Turkish border) covered 3.18% of imports (1.68 TWh).
In terms of natural gas consumer categories, power producers continue to record the highest consumption, meeting 69.39% of domestic demand with 26.42 TWh out of a total of 38.07 TWh consumed. Natural Gas consumption by industries and CNG stations, directly connected to the NNGTS, recorded a noteworthy increase of 54.85%, amounting to 3.48 TWh, equivalent to nearly 9.14% of domestic demand. Consumption from distribution networks during the first nine months of 2023 reached 8.17 TWh, covering 21.46% of the total demand.
DESFA’s infrastructure contributed substantially to the diversification of natural gas supply sources and to the strengthening of the security of supply. The liberalization of the energy market and the regulated Third-Party Access TPA, under which DESFA provides access to the NNGS, strengthens competition among natural gas suppliers for the benefit of end consumers. Third Party Access (TPA) is governed by the provisions of European Union and national law, ensuring open access to any interested party.
