Greek Businesses Suggest Russian Vessels Can Be Used for Gas Delivery in the Med

Russian ships designed for the transportation and storage of natural gas can be used for gas delivery to Greece and the wider Mediterranean region, Vassilios Korkidis, the president of the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE), told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Korkidis also noted that Russian companies could take part in the renovation of Greece’s Mediterranean fleet for which Greek ship owners expect to receive 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) for the European Union.

“A project of small vessels that can be used for transporting natural gas, and also to be warehouses as well, is very good for the Greek islands because they don't have a network of natural gas. So a project with Russian vessels can be applicable in the Mediterranean,” Korkidis said.

The major natural gas reservoirs discovered off the Mediterranean shores in recent years have made the region a focus of international interest. In April, Greece, Cyprus and Israel agreed on the East Mediterranean pipeline project (EastMed) to carry natural gas from Israel and Cyprus to Greece with further transition to Italy and other Southeast European countries.

EastMed is expected to become one of the longest pipelines in the world with a length of some 2,000 kilometers and costing over $6 billion. It is expected to be completed in 2025.