The trilateral European Union Israel Egypt agreement to transfer Israeli gas to Egypt and liquefy it for transport to the EU may include gas from member states, the Commission's energy spokesman Tim McPhee explained to the Cyprus News Agency.
Asked at the midday press briefing to describe the possible role of Cyprus in the Commission's plans for the supply of energy from the European Union, Mr. McPhee noted that the memorandum of understanding "covers gas from any source in the region, and can potentially include gas from EU member states."
He stressed that the exploitation of gas resources from the Eastern Mediterranean region "is an important part of our strategy for diversification" of energy sources under the REPowerEU programme.
The spokesman noted that the EU-Egypt-Israel trilateral agreement could lead to an increase in the amount of gas the EU receives from Egypt from 5 to 7 bcm of gas by the end of the year and a doubling of the volume in the coming years.
Next year operation of floating storage terminal at Vasilikos
Regarding Cyprus' import possibilities, the spokesman noted that the floating gas storage and regasification terminal at Vasilikos is expected to be operational next year, with a potential capacity of 2 bcm of gas.
It is worth noting that the spokesman's reference is to the terminal under construction at Vasilikos, and not to the proposal under consideration to build a separate floating terminal for liquefaction of Israeli gas.
Asked about the progress of the procedures for the EastMed pipeline, Mr McPhee recalled that the Commission is funding a feasibility study as one of the Projects of Common Interest (PCI) through the Connecting Europe Facility.
"The study is ongoing by the project managers, and it is up to them to continue the work and decide whether to proceed with the construction of the pipeline, depending on its commercial viability and demand in the region, and also looking at its contribution to the Green Agreement and our broader strategies," he added."
Source: CNA
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