A new natural gas compression station inaugurated today in Komotini is the latest addition to Greece’s expanding energy infrastructure, underscoring the country’s ambitions to serve as a key transit point for natural gas to Southeastern Europe. Operated by DESFA, the €134 million project aims to boost gas exports to neighboring countries including Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine.
During the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Energy Nikos Tsafos described the project as “pivotal not only for Greece, but for all of Europe,” noting that Eastern Macedonia and Thrace are emerging as a crossroads of energy flows. The region already hosts critical infrastructure linking Europe to alternative gas sources, from Azerbaijan via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) to U.S. LNG through the Alexandroupolis floating terminal.
The new natural gas compression station is expected to support new natural gas–fired power plants that help balance Greece’s electricity system when renewable output is low. It also contributes to the so-called “vertical corridor”, designed to channel gas north through Greece toward Central and Eastern Europe. Together with a new station in Ampelia, it could allow exports of up to 8.5 billion cubic meters annually.
The Komotini project was completed in what officials called “record time” for European standards, following a final investment decision in late 2022, months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended regional energy planning. The new infrastructure reflects how Greece, once a net gas importer, now re-exports significant volumes: about 11 of the 17 billion cubic meters that entered its system in 2023 were sent to neighboring markets.
While government officials emphasize the project’s strategic value, the broader question remains how such investments fit within Europe’s longer-term transition to renewables. Tsafos noted that the region is also attracting clean-energy projects, including wind power and a planned carbon-capture facility. For now, Komotini’s new station reinforces Greece’s growing presence in Europe’s reshaped energy landscape.
