Greece Gets EU Funding for LNG Bunker Vessel
Greek gas supply firm Depa has secured a €20mn ($22mn) loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to fund the construction of an LNG bunkering vessel, the EU lender said on January 28.
The financing deal will cover half of the cost of the vessel – the first of its kind in both Greece and the wider East Mediterranean region. Depa earlier received a €8.9mn EU grant for the project.
The vessel, capable of storing 3,000 m3 of LNG, will be based in the Greek port of Piraeus. It will refuel ships there and at other ports in Greece and elsewhere in the East Mediterranean.
Depa said the vessel’s launch would result in cleaner and more competitive maritime transport in the region, establishing an integrated and efficient LNG supply chain.