Domestic natural gas consumption in Greece has recorded an increase compared to last year, as per DESFA's (National Natural Gas System Operator) data, with consumption data for the firts quarter signaling the return of the natural gas market to its pre-crisis level, as the impact of the war in Ukraine has begun to recede.

Specifically, according to DESFA's relevant data for the period of January – March 2024, total natural gas demand decreased by 8.63%, reaching 16.51 Terawatt hours (TWh), from 18.07 TWh in the corresponding period of last year, due to the significant decrease in exports by 94.89% to 0.29 TWh from 5.68 TWh.

Exports have decreased in the first quarter of 2024 due to Bulgaria's increasing gas imports from Turkey. On the contrary, a significant increase was recorded in domestic natural gas consumption by 30.91%, reaching 16.22 TWh from 12.39 TWh in the first quarter of 2023. In terms of natural gas consumer categories, electricity production units continue to represent the largest part of total consumption, covering 55.49% of domestic demand. Compared to the previous year, demand from electricity production units increased by 29.5%, reaching 9.00 TWh from 6.95 TWh.

A significant increase of 237.84%, compared to the first quarter of 2023, was recorded in natural gas consumption by industries and CNG refuelling stations, directly connected to the NNGTS, amounting to 2.5 TWh, which corresponds to almost 15.41% of domestic demand. Consumption from distribution networks in the first quarter of 2024 reached 4.72 TWh, increased by 0.43% compared to last year, covering 29.10% of total demand. Regarding the contribution of the remaining entry points during the first quarter of 2024, Sidirokastro covered 43.8% of imports (7.25 TWh), recording a significant increase of 113.86% compared to the first quarter of 2023. LNG continues to play a crucial role in gas imports. The Revithoussa LNG terminal (Agia Triada Entry Point) remained a key gateway for the country, covering about 39% of total imports. Additionally, in the period January-March 2024, approximately 6.93 TWh were unloaded from 9 tankers compared to approximately 9.51 TWh from 13 tankers in the corresponding period of the previous year.

More than 65% of LNG cargoes came from the USA, reaching 4.54 TWh, compared to 3.98 TWh in the same period last year. In second place were imports from Russia (1.91 TWh), followed by Algeria (0.48 TWh). The Nea Mesimvria entry point, which, through the TAP pipeline, covered 17.5% of imports (2.90 TWh).

Finally, no quantities of natural gas passed through the Kipoi entry point at the Greek-Turkish border. DESFA's infrastructure continues to respond effectively and with increased flexibility to the changing energy landscape, contributing significantly to the diversification of gas supply sources and security of supply.

The liberalization of the energy market and the regulated Third-Party Access TPA, under which DESFA provides access to the NNGS, strengthens competition among natural gas suppliers for the benefit of end consumers. The provisions of national and European Union law govern Third Party Access (TPA), ensuring open access to any interested party.