RIYADH: It will take no longer than four weeks to develop a clear roadmap to restart exports of natural gas from Egypt to Lebanon, Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati said following a meeting with his counterparts from Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
The readiness of the physical infrastructure needs to be ascertained and existing agreements reviewed, Zawati told Asharq.
Egyptian gas was being pumped through the Arab Gas Pipeline to Lebanon from 2009 to 2011, but was halted due to political and security conditions in the region. The Arab Gas Pipeline begins in Al-Arish in Egypt, then enters Jordan through the Aqaba Governorate, and then north to the Syrian border and from there to Homs, where it is then transferred to Lebanon.
Jordan has imported gas from Egypt since 2018, according to Zawati. “The infrastructure and logistics on the Jordanian side are ready and we are ready,” she said.
Zawati also revealed that there will be a meeting soon regarding the export of electricity from Jordan to Lebanon, which will be determined by the capacity of the line connecting Syria and Lebanon.
“The amount that Jordan can export is 200 MW to 250 MW, and the network and stations we have today are capable of supplying such quantities,” she said. “Therefore, it is important to repair the broken and damaged networks on the Syrian side.”
An attack on the Arab Gas Pipeline between the Syrian towns of Ad Dumayr and Adra, northwest of the capital Damascus in August 2020, suspected to have been carried out by Islamic State militants, caused widespread blackouts across the country.
