Liquefied natural gas

Less than a year after it was upgraded with a third tank, the gas terminal on the island of Revythousa is confirming its strategic role as a feeder of the broader Balkan market, as on August 31 it will receive the first liquefied natural gas load destined for Bulgaria that is procured directly by a Bulgarian company.

The shortsea shipping industry is being left behind in the effort to adjust to new global environmental regulations despite it being the maritime domain that needs clean fuel the most. Still, the positive impact of these regulations is the subject of some dispute.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal and Turkey in May rose 16 percent from April, and were up 53 percent from the same month a year ago, Refinitiv data show.
June deliveries this year are set to be higher than in 2018.
[Reuters]

Cyprus struck a preliminary agreement with Noble, Shell and Delek for the allocation of revenues from the utilization of the Aphrodite deposit and the transfer of natural gas by underwater pipeline to the Idku LNG terminal in Egypt.

Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are hampered by the decision of the Regulatory Authority for Energy over the pricing of the natural gas network, reversing the strategic advantages of the Revythousa terminal for the broader region and depriving Greek enterprises of a relatively cheap source of energy.

The number of new liquefied natural gas-powered vessels will almost double around the globe this year, as the deadline for slashing the sulfur content of bunker fuel is fast approaching, but their further increase to significant figures greatly depends on the improvement of infrastructure, a senior market monitoring official tells Kathimerini English Edition.

Kathimerini reports that stakeholders in the Aphrodite gas field have agreed to commit natural gas from Cyprus' Block 12 to Egypt's LNG facilities from where it will be exported to international markets. A few legal details remain and are expected to be clarified within days.

The topic of liquefied natural gas is important for Bulgaria and the region. Our country is still dependent on a gas supplier and so our efforts are for Bulgaria to become independent in terms of supply, said Temenujka Petkova.

Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) has sold natural gas to Bulgaria at a price 10 percent below the Bulgarian regulated rate and 16 percent below the rate offered to its major clients in Greece, thereby subsidizing industry in the neighboring country.

Turkey's monthly LNG imports reached a historic record high at 2.34 billion cubic meters (bcm) in January 2019, according to Turkey's Energy Market Regulatory Authority's (EMRA) data.