Access to natural gas was her constant request industry in the previous decade, and to a large extent, the development of natural gas networks was based on the priority connection of the country’s industrial regions to cheaper and more environmentally friendly fuel from oil and fuel oil, which were mainly used by the Greek industry. The place where natural gas will arrive first has been the cause of war between industries in the past, especially in an energy-intensive industry that is subject to international competition.

In recent months, the exact opposite has been observed. The country’s industrial enterprises … are fleeing from very expensive natural gas, exhausting all the possibilities of alternative fuels, from diesel and solid fuels, LPG, to almost obsolete and highly polluting fuel oil.

This shift is evidenced by his official data. Ministry of Environment and Energy where available for “K” and show a significant increase in all fuels other than natural gas in 9M 2022, with the most typical use of fuel oil increasing by 29% compared to the corresponding 9M 2021 after declining by about 4%. in 2021 and continuing the downward trend in recent years. Diesel increased by 8.5% over the same period, a percentage that also includes consumption at filling stations, with the increase, however, driven mainly by the industrial market. Some companies seem to have switched to LPG, which rose by 11% in the 9th month, while according to unofficial market data, solid industrial fuels (coke, petroleum coke, flexicol), which are mainly used by industry, also show significant growth. even imported anthracite.

This trend continued in September: diesel fuel increased by 13%, liquefied gas – by 10%, and fuel oil – by 7.1%. The flight of companies from natural gas is also confirmed by his data DESFA on the course of demand in the 9th month. Consumption by large industries directly associated with DESFA (energy intensive) fell to 71.96%.

Consumption by large industries directly associated with DESFA decreased by 71.96%.

Two of the country’s refineries (Motor Oil and ELPE) have been replacing natural gas with naphtha and other by-products of their production for many months, reducing their consumption by 95%. Small businesses connected to the distribution grid have reduced natural gas consumption by 5.5%, according to DEPA Emporia.

However, the industry’s capacity for alternative fuels is limited, especially for energy-intensive ones that cannot be sustained by diesel or fuel oil or do not have adequate fuel storage facilities. Greek businesses that remain locked down on natural gas will pay €135 per MWh in November, while their German competitors will pay €70 per MWh from January 1 after the country’s government intervenes to keep production and employment going.

An indicator of the industry’s concern for and implementation of measures to reduce demand for natural gas (15%) and electricity (5%) is the meeting of the Energy Committee of the BSE last Tuesday, led by the President of the Association, Dimitris Papaleksopoulos, with the Minister of Environment and Energy, Kostas Skrekas. The BSE sounded the alarm and demanded an intervention to reduce the cost of energy by presenting concrete proposals. “The energy crisis is now creating objective difficulties in the smooth operation of production in Greece as well, threatening energy-intensive enterprises in all sectors,” stressed the President of SEB. The adjustment, he added, must be achieved without seriously straining the productive activity and competitiveness of Greek businesses, which would pose serious survival risks in both the short and long term.

Decrease in demand

The first signs of a slowdown in the Greek economy reflect a 4% drop in gasoline demand in September and a low growth rate (3%) for nine months as a result of strong tourist flow this year. For heating oil, consumers appeared to rush for supplies in the first ten days of product availability, taking advantage of government subsidies as well as refining discounts, upping sales by 30% compared to October last year. Good weather conditions and punctuality appear to be responsible for the 25% drop in demand in the last days of October and the first days of November.