Geoffrey Pyatt: The role of Alexandroupolis as an energy hub is now indisputable

The very important role that Alexandroupolis acquires both as a regional energy player and as a gateway to security and cooperation in the wider region was mentioned by the US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Geoffrey Pyatt, speaking on Wednesday online at 1st East Macedonia & Thrace Forum, which is organized by the Olympia Forum, in collaboration with the Municipality of Alexandroupolis, Energizing Greece and Hellas Journal.

He expressed his pleasure at how important a role energy issues and Greece’s role as an energy hub played during the recent visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Athens. Regarding the picture presented by Greece’s ever-evolving role in the energy sector, he added that there is nothing more “transformative” than what is happening today in Alexandroupolis.

Mr Pyatt referred to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and the consensus on how critically important it was that the project was completed on time and that a significant infrastructure of pipelines and interconnectors was already in place, just as Vladimir Putin began to use Russian energy resources as a weapon.

This, he added, ensured resilience in the EU and allowed Europe to successfully “navigate” through the winter, while showing the Kremlin that its attempt to use energy as a weapon to split the transatlantic community and reduce solidarity was unsuccessful. to the Ukrainians.

American LNG

Another important parameter of Europe’s ability to diversify its energy sources was American Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which American producers were able to “mobilize” in response to the needs arising from the crisis in Ukraine. Based on statistics, he said, the US sent more than 70 bcm (billion cubic meters) of LNG to Europe, double the volume of the previous year, and much of that cargo passed through Greece. In fact, US LNG export potential is estimated to be on track to increase by around 50% by 2025, based on projects licensed and under development.

“Along with Qatar, the US will remain one of the two largest exporters of LNG in the coming years and of course this is also connected to the Alexandroupolis FSRU, which is another important parameter of the resilience that Greece is building for Southeast Europe,” said Mr. Pyatt, adding that this project does not concern only Greece but the wider region and reflects both the regional leadership of our country and its commitment to cooperation.

And all this is connected, as he added, to another pillar of Alexandroupolis’ role as an energy hub, the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnection Pipeline (IGB), which was a “lifeline” for the Bulgarians, when Russia turned off the supply switches gas to the country last May.

The North Macedonia project

Mr. Pyatt also made special mention of the connecting pipeline with North Macedonia, pointing out that this is another project that the US strongly supports. Regarding the green transition, Mr. Payat said that the optimal energy security is the one that does not rely on a single supplier of fossil fuels, singling out the policy of the Mitsotakis government regarding the promotion of green fuels in Greece and indicatively mentioning solar energy, biomass, hydrogen and other RES. As he said, Renewable Energy Sources are a critical parameter of Europe’s long-term energy security and one of the ironies of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is that it accelerated the EU’s green energy transition.

Asked by journalist Alexia Tasioulis, who moderated the discussion, if there is any estimate as to when the war in Ukraine will end, Mr. Pyatt said he wished he knew the answer, but the only person who can answer that is the Russian President. “This war is the product of one man’s obsession with a neighboring country, his brutal invasion of an independent European country,” he said and expressed great pride in the role of the Transatlantic Alliance in supporting Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine will end as a major strategic failure for Putin

He assured that the US is committed to standing by the side of the Ukrainians as long as necessary and expressed confidence that this war will end as a grand strategic failure by Putin’s luck and his dream of hegemony in the region will end. He added that Greece has shown really good leadership and diplomatic courage and underlined the importance of the Mediterranean electrical interconnection and the desire for gas reserves from the eastern Mediterranean to reach the markets as quickly as possible.

The Conference is held under the auspices of the Olympia Forum, the largest regional development conference in Greece, and is the first attempt to export the principles and philosophy of the Olympia Forum to a specific Greek Region.