A meeting was held between the President of the Union of Greek Municipalities, Mr. Dimitris Papastergiou and the General Manager of EDA THESS, Mr. Leonidas Bakouras, during which issues related to the energy upgrade of buildings and the improvement of the environment with the further penetration of natural gas were discussed.
The General Manager informed about the Company’s investment program which aims at the implementation of advanced infrastructures to achieve the maximum gas penetration in more and more municipalities - the fuel that contributes decisively to the decarbonization of the economy, highlighting the critical role of distribution networks in the energy transition.
The consistent implementation of EDA THESS’ Development Program leads to the increasing use of natural gas, resulting in improved energy efficiency, reduced energy costs and resources savings but also in the recovery of the economy in such a critical transitional period for the country. At the same time, environmental benefits are increased as emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are reduced, supporting the achievement of national and Community targets for Energy and Climate.
In this context, Mr. Bakouras stated that the Company has already prepared studies for the measurement and reduction of methane emissions into the atmosphere during the natural gas distribution activity. At the same time, the Company enters a new era as it moves to its total digital transformation, with the aim of optimizing services to Distribution Users, Final Consumers and ensuring the safe and uninterrupted distribution of natural gas.
EDA THESS, as a member of the association for sustainability - GD4S, is among the leading European Operators that serve about 30 million consumers. The expanded cooperation of the members focuses on the exchange of know-how and best practices for the development of flexible and smart distribution networks that will allow the integration of increasing quantities of renewable gases in the future, such as hydrogen and biomethane.
Then, Mr. Papastergiou was informed that especially for the city of Trikala in the Region of Thessaly, gas penetration reaches 62% of the population and according to the Development Program of EDA THESS, investments of over € 7.4 million are foreseen for the Municipality of Trikala, until 2025.
Mr. Papastergiou proposed the evaluation of new areas of the municipality in order to be included in the natural gas network. At the same time, he pointed out that coordinated actions are being carried out between the Municipality and EDA THESS for the optimal restoration of distribution network construction works, confirming the excellent cooperation of the Company with local government.
