Egypt and Lebanon have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the supply of natural gas that Lebanon needs for its electricity production.
Elchi.az reports that, according to a statement from the Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office, the signing ceremony took place at the Government Palace in Beirut with the participation of Prime Minister Nəvaf Salam.
At the ceremony, Lebanese Energy Minister Joseph Səddi and Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Kərim Bədəvi signed a memorandum of understanding on the supply of natural gas needed for Lebanon’s electricity production. Speaking after the ceremony, Lebanese Minister Səddi stated that they had decided to gradually switch the energy sector from oil to natural gas, adding that “Natural gas is both cheaper and less harmful to the environment compared to oil.”
Regarding the costs and preparations for the transportation of Egyptian natural gas to Lebanon via Jordan and Syria, Səddi stated that the work required to restart the Lebanese section of the pipeline would not require high costs and the process could take approximately 3-4 months.
On the other hand, Səddi said that a similar process is underway on the Syrian side, and that contacts will be made with donors to reactivate the section of the pipeline extending from the Deyr Əmmar Power Plant in Lebanon to the Syrian border.
Səddi said that one of the main reasons for insisting on using natural gas is to ensure the diversification of the source, and in this context, they are working with the Gulf countries and through the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to build new power plants that will operate on natural gas and develop the natural gas supply infrastructure.
Minister Səddi said that negotiations will also be held with Jordan and Syria in this process, and reminded that the obstacle arising from the Caesar Sanctions Act regarding pipeline work and gas supply in Syria has already been removed.
The agreement envisages the transfer of natural gas via pipeline to the Deyr Əmmar Power Plant in northern Lebanon.
Due to the deep economic crisis that has been going on in Lebanon since 2019, citizens are provided with only 4 hours of state-owned electricity per day. This situation causes many people to resort to expensive private generator subscriptions.
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