Greece’s FSRU Alexandroupolis to Resume Regasification Services

A floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) that brought Greece its first offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is gearing up to return to regasification duty after a brief suspension.

In late January 2025, regasification services were halted due to a technical issue that damaged the booster pumps on board the FSRU Alexandroupolis in the Aegean Sea. Gastrade, the operating firm, has been diligently working to repair the booster pumps and address the issue.

According to Gastrade, the restart of regasification activities is scheduled for August 15, 2025, pending the completion of the necessary remediation works. Initially, the regasification capacity will be limited to 25% of the terminal’s maximum sustainable capacity of approximately 41.5 GWh/day, with additional redundancy in booster pumps. This limited capacity will be available from August 15 to September 30, 2025, subject to specific operational and commercial conditions.

After September 30, 2025, the cap on regasification capacity is expected to be lifted, although some operational constraints may persist temporarily. The FSRU Alexandroupolis, previously known as the LNG carrier GasLog Chelsea, underwent a ten-month conversion in Singapore before being deployed to Greece.

Since its arrival in late 2023, the FSRU has played a crucial role in Greece’s energy landscape, receiving its first LNG cargo in February 2024. With an annual regasification capacity of around 5.5 billion cubic meters, the FSRU is poised to support Gastrade’s expansion plans for the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal, including the addition of a second unit with similar technical capabilities.

Recognizing the ongoing demand for fossil fuels in Southeastern Europe, Gastrade secured a five-year supply agreement with Venture Global to source LNG from the company’s terminals in Louisiana for markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).