The Alexandroupoli FSRU is expected to supply 45,000 MWh of natural gas to the Greek network daily. The facility, set for launch by March 10, will initially offer an annual capacity of 1.5 bcm, or 27 percent of its annual capacity, to the national system. A further 4 cm quantity will be supplied to the Bulgarian network via the IGB grid interconnection, and, by extension, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, and in any markets where traders that have signed contracts with Gastrade, the project’s consortium, have customers.

An initial LNG load, to be used for testing, is scheduled to reach the Alexandroupoli LNG on January 20. It will not stem from Russia as the project is designed to contribute to ending southeast Europe’s reliance on Russian gas.

The testing stage will entail filling a 28-kilometre gas pipeline, running mostly underwater, that connects the terminal with the Greek gas system, to check all systems and correct any minor issues so that the FSRU can be ready to operate commercially after six to seven weeks, or early March.

The FSRU, comprised of a floating storage unit with a capacity of 153,500 m3 and three gasification units, offering a daily gasification capacity of approximately 22.5 million m3, is a project of national significance that reinforces Greece’s role as an energy gateway to the markets of the wider region.