Households, businesses and farmers in ten Macedonian cities gain access to natural gas from mid-2024, when the natural gas pipeline to Western Macedonia, which began construction today, is expected to be completed. These are Alexandria, Naoussa, Veria, Pella, Skydra, Edessa, Eordaia, Kozani and Amyntaio, while the supply of Kastoria is foreseen in the next phase.

The pipeline will also supply the district heating unit of the cities of Western Macedonia (Kozani, Ptolemaida and Amyntaio) while it will be the first pipeline in Greece and one of the first in Europe with certification for the transport of 100% hydrogen, which creates the conditions for the development of the industry of hydrogen in the area. These result from the event for the start of construction work on the new pipeline that took place today in Kozani.

The pipeline, 160 kilometers long and with a budget of 163 million euros, starts from Trikala in Imathia and ends in the Heart of Kozani.

In his message to the event, the president of the Energy Regulatory Authority, Athanasios Dagoumas, said, among other things, that “the energy transition creates challenges, where the penetration of natural gas, biomethane and hydrogen play a significant role. This new pipeline is the first infrastructure in Greece and one of the first in Europe to fully support the transport of renewable gases, such as hydrogen. As the Energy Regulatory Authority, we approve and supervise the timely implementation of critical energy infrastructures, which together with other actions and the human capital of the region we hope will create a model of regional development and fair transition”.

The regional governor of Western Macedonia, Giorgos Kasapidis, emphasized that the infrastructure of the pipeline combined with the investment incentives that apply in the lignite regions create the conditions to develop green energy applications and export-oriented equipment production units. The hydrogen and biomethane production units in the region will, as he said, have access to a pipeline network of European dimensions, which puts Western Macedonia at the forefront of developments.

The mayor of Kozani, Lazaros Maloutas, stood for the independence of district heating from the lignite activity. “The new natural gas pipeline with the possibility of transporting hydrogen is a project that serves both the period of transition to renewable energy sources and the period of climate neutrality,” he emphasized.

The managing director of DESFA, Maria Rita Galli, said: “Today marks the start of the construction of the new high-pressure natural gas pipeline to Western Macedonia, a project that opens up new development prospects for the regions of Central and Western Macedonia , ensuring their smooth transition to a cleaner energy era, while at the same time providing access to natural gas to many new points and users in the wider region. As the new pipeline is the first in Greece and one of the first in Europe to be designed as 100% ready for hydrogen transport, DESFA does more than further strengthen the energy interconnection of these regions: Starting from Western Macedonia it creates a energy infrastructure ready to play a central role in the country’s future energy system, with multiple benefits for the region. More specifically, the new pipeline allows the production of green gases such as biomethane and hydrogen, creating new opportunities for investment and jobs in the region, while at the same time diversifying and further strengthening Greece’s security of supply with sustainable energy.”