Jordan plans to buy gas from Cyprus

AMMAN — Jordan will sign an agreement to purchase natural gas from Cyprus before the end of June this year, according to a senior government official. 

A technical team from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will soon travel to Cyprus to meet with their counterparts and start working on the agreement, specify quantities and other technical issues, Energy Minister Mohammad Hamed said in recent remarks to The Jordan Times. 

Jordan seeks to buy 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from Cyprus, he said, adding that prices will be announced later. 

The natural gas will be supplied to the LNG terminal being built in Aqaba, the official said. The facility is expected to be ready to receive gas shipments in July, it was announced. 

“The agreement with Cyprus is a very important one because it will ensure that Jordan receives a continuous supply and is part of government’s efforts to diversify resources,” Hamed said. 

He added that importing natural gas from Cyprus will significantly help reduce the burden on the Kingdom, which was forced to switch to the more expensive heavy fuel and diesel for power generation after cuts in natural gas supplies from Egypt. 

Last year, Jordan and Cyprus signed a memorandum of understanding that includes cooperation in the areas of tourism, trade and industry. 

On energy, it seeks to exchange expertise in the field, cooperate in infrastructure projects, conduct joint projects and train experts, as well as exchange skills on installing renewable energy systems, especially solar energy. 

Jordan, which imports about 96 per cent of its energy needs annually, seeks to diversify energy resources to meet rising energy needs.