Time counts down until the start of this winter, which comes much earlier for Eastern European countries than we are used to in Greece. OR Ukraine will need each molecule to meet the needs of its citizens in gas And the picture is not good right now, because its warehouses are only 24% full, compared to 80% on average in the rest of Europe.
The EU and the States of SE Europe have set a goal this summer to facilitate the transfer of quantities of gas through the vertical corridor. The starting point is the two Greek LNG terminals of Revithousa and Alexandroupolis, as well as the TAP pipeline, using the pipelines in Bulgaria and Romania. Overall, three different corridors were selected that could serve the needs of countries in the north, such as Ukraine and Moldova.
The reality, however, has been disappointing, as in the monthly auctions so far the market interest was very low. Industry executives said that high transport tariffs and regulatory ambiguity did not allow the commitment of higher quantities. Experts who spoke to Montel have spoken of hasty auctions that are not compatible with European law.
DESFA’s commercial director, Sotiris Bravos, told the agency that the product allocated through the first runway was designed for an auction and not for seven different. However, he added that it is fully compatible with the European Regulation.
The image is complemented by bureaucratic and regulatory barriers to Bulgaria and Romania, which the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, put in a recent debate on the Gastech Forum in Milan.
Now, administrators and the EU are trying to improve the terms in the next auctions in order to increase gas to Ukraine at least at the last minute. This Friday (19.9.2025) the new auction is being held, with the hope of committing higher quantities than before.
US officials also recently stood on the issue, during their contacts with the Greek government during a visit to our country of Interior Minister Doug Bergam. As they transferred, the vertical corridor is successful and has full US support, but efforts need to continue.