Governor Roberto Occhiuto reiterates this at every public outing when asked about the case: «The Gioia Tauro regasification terminal will be built, it could produce half the gas that we previously imported from Russia, and it would increase Italy’s negotiating power vis-à-vis the countries from which moment we buy this fundamental raw material: we could set prices that are more convenient for us. And so, an extremely strategic investment, it has all the authorizations ready, we can also leave tomorrow, and I am happy that Minister Pichetto Fratin has decided to include it in this plan. I want this large infrastructure also because the cold plate is needed to regasify, and with this reality I could build a large agro-industry district in Gioia Tauro to freeze food products produced not only in Calabria, but also, for example, in Sicily or Campania. This would be a further development opportunity for Gioia Tauro, which let’s not forget is Italy’s leading port, but also for my entire region».
But Occhiuto knows well that the game on the regasification terminal is very complex because, on the one hand, the push for its creation stalled many years ago and was then rekindled due to the conflict in Ukraine, but also for the very strong interests at stake in the European gas supply arena. 10 years have passed since in 2013 the Ministry of Economic Development was forced to adopt a decree which allowed the indefinite suspension of the term to start the works otherwise they would no longer be able to start from the provision of the time. It was hoped that at the height of the gas crisis that great project of the Lng Medgas Terminal could really come out of the drawers and become a reality and instead, more than a year after the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, little or nothing – if not some announcements and the reassurances of Minister Picchetto Fratin – it happened.
