Cyprus’ hopes of beginning LNG imports next year have been dealt a body blow as the saga over the project which was initially due to begin operating in 2022 rumbles on. France’s Technip Energies, which has recently been contracted to deliver the unfinished onshore receiving terminal, will only be able to provide an estimate of when it can complete works in March next year, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou told a house committee meeting on 8 July.

The minister also revealed that the Etyfa Prometheus floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) which forms the key component of the project, remains anchored offshore Malaysia awaiting two missing spare parts. The first component is a valve system used in liquefying natural gas, and the second is a unit that generates nitrogen with total cost estimated by the minister at $9-10mn. (CONTINUED - 355 WORDS)