{"id":3287,"date":"2026-04-30T09:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T06:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/?p=3287"},"modified":"2026-04-30T09:50:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T06:50:00","slug":"mega-deal-new-exarchos-deals-for-6-billion-lng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/?p=3287","title":{"rendered":"Mega-deal: new Exarchos deals for $6 billion LNG"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a move already dominating Greek and Albanian media<\/b> as a turning point for the energy geography of the Balkans, the AKTOR group<\/b> has “closed” a 20-year deal to supply liquefied natural gas to Albania<\/b>, worth a total of close to \u20ac6 billion. <\/p>\n

The deal calls for the delivery of 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the United States to state-owned ALBGAZ, starting in 2030, integrating the Albanian market into a new, more complex energy network. <\/p>\n

The deal was signed in Tirana, attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama<\/b>, with the Albanian side describing it as a “strategic shift” towards energy diversification and security of supply.In the Greek market, the development is interpreted as a strengthening of the role of Greek groups in shaping the new energy map<\/b> of the region, with liquefied natural gas and interconnections at the forefront. <\/p>\n

Alongside the commercial agreement, AKTOR Group also entered into a memorandum of cooperation with the Albanian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy for the development of an integrated energy hub. The plan includes a gas-fired power plant with a capacity of around 380 megawatts, a development that, according to Albanian reports, <\/b>could meet a significant part of the country’s future demand and serve as a base for industrial development. The common denominator in the reports on both sides is the so-called southern LNG axis,<\/b> which now appears not as a theoretical project but as an energy corridor under development with real projects and financing. <\/p>\n

This route connects US LNG to Southeastern Europe, passing through Greek infrastructure and ending in the Western Balkans, with the potential for further expansion. <\/p>\n

Transatlantic cooperation<\/h3>\n

Alexander Exarchou<\/b>, president and CEO of AKTOR Group, clearly described the strategic depth of the agreement. “We have taken a very important step towards the implementation of the Vertical Corridor, an initiative that aspires to provide Europe with energy security through US LNG<\/b>,” he said, noting that the project is actively supported by US institutions and is part of broader transatlantic cooperation. <\/p>\n

According to him, these agreements “unleash the potential of the corridor and create new, stable energy flows to the European market,” and he stressed that the southern axis “is not just an infrastructure investment but a critical link in shielding the region against future energy crises.” <\/p>\n

Analyses on the Greek side focus on the project’s connection to the already developing LNG infrastructure in Greece<\/b> and the possibility of transferring volumes to the Balkans, enhancing the country’s role as an energy gateway. On the other hand, the Albanian media emphasise the fact that for the first time the country is gaining access to long-term and reliable gas supply,<\/b>which can translate into lower energy costs and greater investment attractiveness. Market players note that the timing of the deal is not coincidental. <\/p>\n

Europe continues to seek alternative sources of supply, while demand for LNG remains high due to volatility in international markets.In this environment, projects that enhance diversification and interconnections are becoming increasingly important<\/b>. <\/p>\n

Geopolitical Power<\/h3>\n

The next critical step is to implement projects on time. Experience shows that such investments determine not only the energy adequacy but also the geopolitical power of the countries involved. <\/p>\n

In this case, the southern LNG axis is emerging as a key instrument of influence and development for the whole of South-Eastern Europe.<\/b>Evaluable analysts argue that the energy map of the Balkans is beginning to change more rapidly, shifting the focus from traditional routes to new, more flexible and internationalised energy flows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a move that is already dominating Greek and Albanian media as a turning point for the energy geography of the Balkans, the Group …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3288,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}