7Bln Euro Energy Projects In Fast Track Procedures

Greek authorities on Monday decided to include 12 energy investments worth 7.0 billion euros to a fast track legislation procedures for strategic investments. According to the state news agency ANA/MPA the decision was reached during a meeting of the inter-ministerial commission headed by Development and Competitiveness Minister Costis Hatzidakis. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Minister said that this development underlined the country's ability to attract investments.

All 12 projects were included in the fast track procedure on the recommendation of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis, who apparently stated that these project were already in an implementation stage and are set to generate at least 17,000 new jobs.

The projects have been characterized by the European Union as Projects of Common Interest and are basically energy interconnections with the Caspian region and the Eastern Mediterranean region (Cyprus-Israel).

More analytically, the projects noted include:

Electricity Energy -NSI East Electricity (interconnections of electricity energy North-South in centraleast and southeast Europe).

• - Interconnection Israel-Cyprus-Greece between Hadera (Israel) and Attica, known as Euro-Asia-Interconnector.
• - Interconnection between Maritsa East 1 (Bulgaria) and Nea Santa (Greece).
• - Hydro-pumped storage in Amphilohia.

Natural Gas

• - IGB Interconnector pipeline Greece-Bulgaria (Komotini-Stara Zagora)
• - Terminal (permanent reverse flow) at the Greek-Bulgarian borders (Sidirokastro and Kula).
• - Floating storage and processing terminal of LNG in Alexandroupoli.
• - Floating storage and processing terminal Aegean LNG import terminal.
• - Storage facility in Kavala.
• - TAP pipepline.
• - ITGI pipeline.
• - Natural gas pipeline from Cyprus to Greece (through Crete).
• - Natural gas compression terminal in Kipi, Evros.

The interministerial commission meeting also agreed to issue a new presidential decree on the operation of The Mall shopping centre, following a court decision saying that the shopping center's license was illegal as no environmental survey had been drafted.