Greece Targets First Offshore Gas Drilling in 50 Years by 2027

reece is aiming to motorboat its archetypal exploratory offshore drilling cognition successful 50 years during the archetypal 4th of 2027, Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said successful an interrogation with the Greek nationalist broadcaster ERT connected Monday, May 18.

Papastavrou described Greece arsenic playing an progressively salient relation successful the planetary vigor scenery and said the authorities was accelerating efforts to determination guardant with hydrocarbon exploration. He noted that discussions with the main enforcement of HelleniQ Energy, suggested drilling enactment could adjacent statesman earlier than expected. According to the minister, the authorities was carrying retired each indispensable regulatory procedures to let the consortium progressive successful the task to proceed.

He said the consortium estimated that the Block 2 offshore concession could incorporate up to 270 cardinal cubic meters of earthy gas, perchance generating astir 10 cardinal euros successful revenues for the Greek state and taxpayers. If commercially viable, helium argued, the find could unlock substantial nationalist wealth, strengthening the country’s economical position.

Commenting connected a caller interrogation helium gave to Breitbart News that was aboriginal shared connected κοινωνικά media by U.S. President Donald Trump, Papastavrou said the cardinal connection was that Greece’s vigor strategy and what helium described arsenic Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ “energy realism” had received designation astatine the highest governmental level successful Washington.

He said the Greek authorities supported the transition to cleanable energy, but not “at immoderate cost,” stressing that κοινωνικά cohesion and economical competitiveness besides had to beryllium taken into account. Mitsotakis, helium argued, had rejected the conception that countries indispensable take betwixt renewable vigor and hydrocarbons, alternatively advocating for a dual-track attack embracing both.

Papastavrou further linked vigor argumentation to geopolitical influence, arguing that countries susceptible of controlling their ain vigor resources were ultimately amended positioned to signifier their ain aboriginal alternatively than beryllium connected the decisions of others.

Addressing Greek-American relations, the curate dismissed disapproval that the Mitsotakis authorities lacked strong ties with Washington. He pointed to Trump’s nationalist praise for Greece and the premier minister, posted soon aft the U.S. president’s instrumentality from China, arsenic grounds of adjacent bilateral relations.

Asked astir renewed Turkish challenges successful the region, Papastavrou said Greece’s actions were being carried retired with assurance and organization legitimacy, ever within the model of planetary law, the instrumentality of the sea, and its obligations arsenic a subordinate of the European Union. He added that unilateral actions, careless of their nature, bash not nutrient ineligible consequences under maritime law.

Papastavrou besides welcomed the caller tourism spatial readying framework, describing tourism arsenic the backbone of the Greek system aft years without wide improvement guidelines. He highlighted a caller regularisation banning operation within 25 meters of the coastline, saying the measurement would assistance support nationalist entree to Greece’s shores for aboriginal generations.