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Greece to speed up gas exploration to help replace Russian gas - PM says

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek Prime Minister

12 April 2022 15:05 (UTC +04:00)

Greece will speed up gas exploration projects in concert with private investors, its prime minister said on Tuesday, as it cuts its reliance on Russian energy and looks to become an energy hub in Europe, APA reports citing Reuters.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and fears over gas supply in Europe have exacerbated a jump in prices, forcing the European Union to seek ways to reduce its reliance on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and to end it completely by 2027.

"Accelerating the exploitation of the country's national energy resources will allow us, if we are lucky and we have exploitable natural gas fields, to boost our energy independence, our energy security," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

Mitsotakis, who met the country's hydrocarbons commission and energy industry executives on Tuesday, added that Greece aims to have a clear idea by 2023 on whether it has gas reserves it could tap, while indications of potential gas reserves so far made the government "optimistic".