Egypt works to speed up coordination of Egyptian natural gas delivery to Lebanon via Jordan and Syria

On September 8, Egyptian Oil Minister Tarek El-Molla and his Jordanian and Syrian counterparts reached an agreement in Amman, to supply natural gas from Egypt to Lebanon.

This decision comes in a context where Lebanon faces a devastating economic crisis marked by chronic shortages of fuel and electricity, with a sharp rise in the prices of derivatives due to the collapse of the local currency (Lebanese pound) , and the lack of foreign exchange necessary for imports.

“Egypt is working to speed up the coordination of delivery of Egyptian natural gas to Lebanon via Jordan and Syria, given the country’s desire to ease the burden on the Lebanese people and help support and stability of Lebanon, ”said Tarek El-Molla.

In detail, the gas will be transported via the Arab gas pipeline which leaves from the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and crosses Jordan, Syria and Lebanon in order to activate the gas-fired power stations which are currently no longer in operation. service. The goal is to enable Lebanon to receive enough natural gas to generate 450 megawatts of electricity.

The country is working with the World Bank to obtain the necessary financing for this endeavor. In addition, it should be remembered that this project could come up against the obstacle of American sanctions against Syria and this although the United States has given its support by considering granting a probable exemption, as well as any necessary repairs to the gas pipeline.

Egypt, which has already been self-sufficient in gas for three years, produced 6.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2020 and plans to increase its production capacity to 7.2 billion cubic feet per day.