Page 177 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2023

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES PLEDGE TO and a delegation of executives from about one
MULTIPLY THE CAPACITY OF OFFSHORE hundred of the sector’s companies.
WIND FARMS IN THE NORTH SEA According to the Belgian business newspaper
The second North Sea Summit, on the theme “L’Echo”, the signing of the declaration by the
of green energy, was hosted on April 24 at the nine countries essentially translates into creat-
port of Ostend, Belgium, with the participation ing Europe’s biggest cross-border electricity link
of European countries. connected to an offshore wind farm, increasing
During the summit, it was agreed to increase the the production capacity of electricity at sea, and
combined North Sea offshore wind capacity to integrating the production of green hydrogen in
the process. In addition, the nine countries will
combine their already identified projects as a
basis for their shared vision to create an energy
transition hub. Many interconnections are already
on the cards (Nautilus between Belgium and the
UK, Triton Link connecting the energy islands of
Belgium and Denmark, Celtic interconnection
connecting France and Ireland, etc.). Also, the
countries announced they would make every effort
to lighten the administrative procedures, espe-
cially the reception. The Belgian press describes
the Summit that took place in Ostend as s as a
“historic” move for energy.

GREECE TO BECOME AN ENERGY
GATEWAY FOR THE BALKANS
Greece’s expanded role as a natural gas supply
hub for the wider Balkan region is leading to a
doubling of the natural gas transmission system,
thus strengthening the country’s geopolitical
position.
More specifically, The National Natural Gas
System Operator (DESFA) is gauging inves-
tor interest in developing the infrastructure for
supplying natural gas to neighbouring countries
to record the project’s needs and then submit
investment proposals to the Regulatory Energy
Authority (REA) for approval. A critical issue is
the sharing of the costs of the investments since
they are primarily aimed at supplying countries in
SE Europe.
As DESFA pointed out during an informative event
on the upgrade of the Greek system held recently,
part of the cost can be covered by Greek con-
sumers through user fees as the new projects are
improving Greece’s security of supply by diversify-
ing its natural gas sources. But the final decision
on the matter will be taken by the REA.
120GW by 2030 and 300GW by 2050 with the aim According to the data presented, natural gas
of making the North Sea “Europe’s biggest green exports quadrupled in 2022 compared to the pre-
power plant”. That will be an eightfold increase vious year, reaching 29.5 terawatt hours from 7.6
compared to the current power produced. The terawatt hours in 2021, and were mainly directed
heads of state of nine countries (Belgium, France, to Bulgaria, which was facing a supply cut from
Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Den- Russian Gazprom. That natural gas was imported
mark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Norway) to the Revithoussa Station in liquefied form and
participated in the Summit. It was also attended then channelled to the Balkans through the
by EC President Ursula von der Leyen, Energy Greek system.
Ministers, Energy Commissioner Kardrie Simpson, The war in Ukraine, the decarbonisation of

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