Snam Hosts Med Gas Grids Gathering

Natural gas infrastructure operators from 12 Mediterranean countries have met for the first time to start a dialogue on the sector and its development prospects in the region, the Italian gas grid operator Snam said in a statement February 7.

It said: "The meeting, held in Milan, has started a cooperation process aimed at increasing infrastructure development in an area of growing strategic importance for the security of supply and due to gas’ fundamental role in the decarbonisation and competitiveness of energy systems."

“Gas infrastructure operators of the Mediterranean area have started to pursue the establishment of a cooperation framework to promote the development of the gas infrastructure industry in the region”, the companies said in a joint statement, issued by Snam.

It said that, along with itself, representatives of the following companies participated in the meeting: Defa (Cyprus), Desfa (Greece), EMPL-Metragaz (Morocco), Enagas (Spain), GRTgaz (France), INGL (Israel), Jordanian Egyptian FAJR company (Jordan), Plinacro (Croatia), Plinovodi (Slovenia), REN (Portugal) and The Energy and Water Agency - Government of Malta (Malta). Snam said the inaugural meeting opened the meeting with a speech by Snam chairman Carlo Malacarne.

National energy regulators from countries on both sides of the Mediterranean have met before to discuss issues of common interest, while energy suppliers have associated since the 1990s through the Paris-based Observatoire Mediterraneen de l'Energie (OME).