Speaking at the 6th Power & Gas Forum, the CEO of Enaon emphasized that natural gas infrastructure and energy source diversification are critical components for the country and achieving the energy transition goals
“Natural gas infrastructure is an advantage for Greece – it will play a significant role in the coming years, not only in ensuring affordable energy for households and businesses but also in supporting the country’s energy transition by distributing renewable gases. This will enhance the flexibility and resilience of the entire energy system, allowing for source diversification, decarbonization of consumption, and greater efficiency and economy,” highlighted Mrs. Barbara Morgante, CEO of Enaon, of the Italgas Group, speaking on Friday, March 28, 2025, at the 6th Power & Gas Forum organized by energypress in Athens.
During her discussion with Mr. Michalis Mastorakis, a journalist from Naftemporiki and energypress, Mrs. Morgante emphasized the importance of energy source diversification, as well as the identification of new sustainable solutions to ensure the country’s energy security, especially in times of geopolitical developments. “No energy technology should be abandoned in favor of only one solution: to achieve decarbonisation goals and maintain flexibility of the overall system, a pragmatic rather than ideological approach must be adopted. Natural gas is considered a bridge fuel for the energy transition, but pragmatically it is likely that it will continue to play a decisive role in the coming years, given that it is estimated it will represent around 20% of of European energy consumption by 2050” she highlighted.
Additionally, the CEO of Enaon referred to the company’s strategic decision to expand the natural gas distribution network, even in remote areas of the country, using state-of-the-art small-scale LNG infrastructure projects.
“Following the successful example of our parent company Italgas in Sardinia, in areas of Greece that are remote from the National Natural Gas Transmission System, we are creating small-scale LNG infrastructure projects, through which we achieve significant benefits for local communities at lower costs. We are very careful in how we allocate our expenses, rationalizing costs for the benefit of consumers,” emphasized the CEO of Enaon.
The company is already developing infrastructure in new areas of Greece, as well as upgrading existing ones in order to be ready for a sustainable energy future. This includes the digital transformation of the network, including the replacement of conventional meters with “H2 ready” smart meters, ensuring the best performance in terms of remote monitoring and consumption measurement, allowing for the management of natural gas and renewable gas blends.
Furthermore, the company is already using Picarro system, which was first implemented on Italgas’ network in Italy and is the world’s most advanced technology for the periodical network monitoring and the timely gas leak detection, expanding the analysis to above-ground sections of the distribution system, which are not accessible by conventional methods.
Also, the creation of a unified control center for the remote monitoring of the networks managed by the company across the country is underway, with multiple benefits both in terms of environmental footprint and in terms of preparedness and control of parameters for renewable gases.
“Our networks are smart, digital, and flexible, ready to immediately distribute biomethane and, in the future, hydrogen, in combination with natural gas. Our Group’s commitment to upgrading our distribution networks to transport renewable gases, starting from biomethane, is already reflected in its development plan. The production of biomethane will offer multiple benefits, as it contributes to the circular economy and the sustainable development of rural areas, creating a positive impact on local communities and, at the same time, contributing to the diversification of the national energy mix, enhancing the country’s energy security. The proximity of the networks to the end consumer is a significant advantage for utilizing existing natural gas distribution infrastructure. Towards this direction, the company is awaiting the adoption of a comprehensive legislative framework and a dynamic and effective set of regulatory rules for the initiation of investments in the production/distribution of renewable gases. In this context, it is important to address critical questions about the allocation of biomethane production costs between the producer and the gas network Operator, as well as the existence of a support mechanism for the necessary investments” noted the CEO of Enaon.
The investment program implemented by Enaon in Greece, through its subsidiary Enaon EDA, under the Italgas Group’s Strategic Plan for 2024-2030, provides for investments amounting to 1 billion euros for the expansion and upgrading of infrastructure, serving approximately 1 million consumers from the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors and promoting the transition to a new era with energy security, sustainability, and cost competitiveness for all.
