Greece’s ANEK Lines Joins LNG Program for Cleaner Aegean

Taking advantage of its strategic geographical position in the eastern Mediterranean and its connection to the Black Sea, ANEK Lines and the Region of South Aegean have been approved for participation in the Archipelago-LNG program for the use and supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in Greek waters.

Through its participation in the “Sustainable Maritime Transport with LNG between Greek mainland and islands (Archipelago-LNG)” program, which is part of EU program ΤΕΝ-Τ (Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency) 2014 [currently Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA)], Greece will gain the knowhow to pave the way for the establishment of a relevant legal framework.

The EU will fund half of the program’s total budget (at 1,146.180 euros) through to 31 December 2015.

The Achipelago-LNG program aims to promote the use of natural gas in shipping and contribute to the development of the Greek ship-building sector, to coastal and maritime transport in the eastern Mediterranean, to the reduction of costs, to the improvement of accessibility to the Greek islands with immediate benefits for tourism and local communities and to a cleaner environment in the Aegean.

The successful implementation of the program is expected to attract investments in the shipbuilding sector and develop LNG infrastructure on the islands and mainland Greece.