Greece emerges as major energy exporter to Southeast Europe

Greek energy companies have turned the country into a regional hub, supplying petroleum products, electricity and natural gas to Southeast Europe. Helleniq Energy and Motor Oil together exported about 8 million tons of fuel annually, with more than 2 million tons reaching markets such as Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and North Macedonia. The electricity balance shifted from importing roughly 10 TWh in 2019 (about 18 % of demand) to becoming a net exporter; exports reached 3 TWh in 2025 and the country ranked fifth in Europe for clean electricity exports in 2026. The trade surplus on electricity grew from a €300 million annual import cost (2014‑2019) to a €262 million surplus in 2025 and €341 million in the first quarter of 2026. Natural‑gas exports through the Greek system rose to 8.6 TWh in 2025, tripling the previous year, and reached 8.72 TWh in the first half of 2026. This growth is supported by the “vertical corridor” that liquefies imported LNG and re‑exports it to neighboring countries, a framework backed by a March agreement among system operators of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine with the European Commission, which reduced transport costs and secured nearly half of the available export capacity through 2030.