The Independent Natural Gas System (ASFA) in Alexandroupolis has won the REGIOSTARS 2026 award in the “A Connected Europe” category, becoming the first Greek project to receive an award in the scheme since it was launched in 2008.
With this award, the European Commission recognises the project’s strategic contribution to connecting energy markets and strengthening the security and resilience of Europe’s energy system. It also highlights the value of cooperation between countries and institutions in addressing shared challenges.
Starting in Alexandroupolis, the project is creating a new entry point for liquefied natural gas (LNG) into south-eastern and central Europe.
Through its Floating Storage and Regasification Unit, which is connected to the National Natural Gas Transmission System by a 28-kilometre subsea and onshore pipeline, the Alexandroupolis ASFA is strengthening energy cooperation between countries, expanding regional markets’ access to natural gas and supporting the development of a more interconnected and flexible European energy system.
It also highlights Alexandroupolis’s strategic position as a focal point for energy development across the wider region.
Behind this success is the vision of entrepreneur Dimitris Copelouzos, who conceived the project more than 15 years ago, according to the announcement.
The announcement describes it as an ambitious undertaking that required long-term planning, persistence and cooperation among many people and organisations to move from concept to implementation.
“Today, the project developed and operated by Gastrade is tangible proof that an investment originating in Greece can achieve a European reach, creating added value for the markets and countries it serves,” the announcement says.
EU co-funding through the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was instrumental in delivering the project, under the 2014–2020 Operational Programme “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation” and the 2021–2027 Operational Programme “Environment and Climate Change”.
This European support underlines the role of cohesion policy in delivering strategic investments that contribute to shared European goals.
At the awards ceremony, Gastrade executive director Konstantinos Sifnaios said:
“We are very excited and proud of this distinction. It took more than 15 years for Dimitris Copelouzos’s vision to become reality and develop into infrastructure with an impact far beyond Greece’s borders. Today’s award is important recognition of the value energy infrastructure can create when it is designed with a European outlook and to serve wider needs, as well as of the efforts of everyone who believed in the project and worked to bring it to fruition.
It also has particular significance for Alexandroupolis and its local community, as it highlights the European role the city can play. For Gastrade, this distinction is vindication after a long journey and an incentive to continue developing infrastructure that creates lasting value for Greece and the wider region.”.
The REGIOSTARS awards are an initiative of the European Commission that highlights projects supported by EU cohesion policy and making a substantial contribution to the economic development of Europe’s regions.
This year’s competition attracted 274 entries from across the European Union, competing in five categories.
The Alexandroupolis ASFA’s award highlights the importance of strategic infrastructure and its ability to connect markets, strengthen cooperation and create new prospects for growth, the announcement concludes.