Greece will be able to store up to 0.7 TWh of natural gas in the Chiren gas storage facility

Greece will be able to store up to 0.7 TWh of natural gas in our only gas storage facility in Chiren. This was decided by the interim government at its meeting today.

At its meeting today, the Council of Ministers approved a draft Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Environment and Energy of the Republic of Greece. The purpose of the document is to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries to ensure the security of supplies and storage of natural gas, in a spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance.

The memorandum will be concluded in implementation of Regulation (EU) 2022/1032 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 2022 amending Regulations (EU) 2017/1938 and (EC) No. 715/2009 in relation to the storage of natural gas. According to the requirements of the regulation, any country that does not have underground gas storage facilities on its territory must maintain strategic reserves equal to 15% of its annual consumption in another EU country.

One or more Greek suppliers of the national natural gas transmission system managed by DESFA should register as users of the Bulgarian transmission system, as provided for in the Network Code of Bulgartransgaz EAD. In this way, they will be able to reserve injection and extraction capacities at the Chiren gas station for a maximum total storage volume of 0.7 TWh.

In turn, slots and storage capacity, as well as the corresponding capacity for regasification from terminals in the Republic of Greece, can be reserved by one or more Bulgarian suppliers of the national gas transmission system managed by Bulgartransgaz EAD. They will use liquefied natural gas for direct supply to end users on the territory of Bulgaria for a maximum total annual regasification capacity of 2.0 TWh.

The memorandum will be concluded for 12 months and will enter into force after its ratification by the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria.