Gas network to expand to 34 more cities
Public Gas Distribution Networks (DEDA), the subsidiary of DEPA Infrastructures, will invest 270 million euros over the next five years to bring natural gas to 34 cities and towns across Greece.
These investments will to a great extent determine the result of the tender for the privatization of DEPA Infrastructures, as a key criterion for the selection of the investor – besides the price – will be the pledge for the implementation of the investment program.
This program, approved by the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE), was presented on Monday to the Environment and Energy Ministry, during a meeting between Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, his deputy Gerasimos Thomas, DEDA Chief Executive Marios Tsakas and DEPA Infrastructures Chairman Haris Kyriazis.
The program provides for the construction of a 1,830 kilometer natural gas distribution network and at least 57,000 connections of all categories (residential, commercial and industrial) in the following cities and towns: Alexandroupoli, Komotini, Drama, Xanthi, Orestiada and Kavala in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace; Katerini, Kilkis, Serres, Veria, Giannitsa and Alexandria in the region of Central Macedonia; Lamia, Halkida, Thiva, Livadia, Amphissa, Karpenisi and Oinofyta in the Region of Central Greece; Kastoria, Grevena, Argos, Orestiko, Maniaki, Amyntaio, Florina, Ptolemaida and Kozani in the region of Western Macedonia, Patra, Agrinio and Pyrgos in the region of Western Greece; and Ioannina, Arta, Preveza and Igoumenitsa in the region of Epirus.
The ministry announced that it is a matter of days for the tenders on the implementation of the first few projects to be published, as the consultation process for the regions of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, of Central Macedonia and of Central Greece has already been completed. Notably, DEDA has submitted a revision application for the cities in the region of the Peloponnese (they do not include Patra and Pyrgos).
The overall planning of DEDA for its gas grid development stretches to 2036, providing for investment of over €470 million.
