For March 2026, the new adviser of the project is being carried out to prepare documents and deliver timetables for completing the work on the liquefied natural gas import terminal in the Vasilikos area was reported on Tuesday’s DEFA representatives to the Parliamentary Energy Committee and the Energy Committee. They noted, however, that efforts are being made to be achieved earlier.
The minister informed Members of the developments in the process of implementing the project, as far as the “Prometheus” ship, as well as the land part of the project and the pier. Compared to Prometheus, Mr. Papanastasiou said that for the actions of his certification he would be completed in October.
By October the certification ‘Prometheus, $ 367,000 per month the stay in Malaysia
Rejecting the claim of the President of the Commission, DISY MP Kyriakos Hatzigiannis, that there is opacity for the project, the minister said the ship is in Malaysia, where, under the management of a Norwegian interests, the two components were not expected. As he explained, the inspection carried out by the managing company found that a valve system was missing when the ship liquefied natural gas as well as a nitrogen production unit. The cost of the two components is € 8-9 cm.
“Whatever the ship is missing and on the contract will be claimed in the arbitration of London,” the minister said, estimating that the ship will receive the certification to convert to a floating gas storage and re -treatment unit (FSRU) in September.
In response to relevant questions from DISY MPs, Kyriakos Hatzigiannis and Averof Neophytou, Mr. Papanastasiou clarified that, according to a certificate company, the ship could not carry two certifications as both LNG Carrier and as FSRU and therefore the FSRU will be certified.
Responding to a question by AKEL MP Costas Costas, about how much the ship’s stay in Malaysia costs, the minister referred to DEFA, with its president, George Asikalis, stating that until May it cost € 367,000 a month and the month.
As Mr. Papanastasiou explained, the total budget of the project amounts to € 325m, of which € 220m was for the ship.
Concerning the land project in Vasilikos and the pier, he said he was appointed as a French company consultant with a reputation in completing unfinished projects. “He has received the documents from DEFA and ETYFA. It evaluates the documents, the access have been given and it is expected to come with solutions, “he said.
Noting that the project is completed by 45-50%, he clarified that the terrestrial piece was manufactured directly by the Chinese consortium and DEFA should be on offer. On the contrary, the pier is consulted with the latest Chinese consortium subcontractor, with the minister stating that he is close to agreement.
In his intervention, Mr. Neophytou was reportedly referring to the October 2024 Energy Committee meeting, when DEFA responded to the persistence of MPs directly with the subcontractor, the DEFA replied that the legal adviser told them that the contract could not be used by the contract. Contest.
In response, the President of DEFA confirmed the events, noting that since then an attempt was made to seek a solution and a provision was found in the legislation that allowed the process to proceed with the existing subcontractor.
March 2026 is expected to be given the timetable
Answering a question by Mr Hatzigiannis about when the final timetable for completion of the project will be given, the minister said this would be handed over by the project’s adviser. DEFA clarified that under the agreement signed with the adviser in May 2025, it has 10 months of signature to deliver the documents, accompanied by the timetable. They noted, however, that efforts were being made to be done earlier.
Therefore, the timetable horizon is postponed to March 2026, with AKEL MP Andrea Passiourtidis asking if the landmark of the end of 2025 leaves the plan and the minister confirms it.
Asked by the MP and President of the Ecologists Movement, Stavros Papadouris, where the delay is due to the latest statements that wanted the project to be completed at the end of 2025, the minister replied that “when you undertake unfinished work and negotiating you are undergoing subcontractors.” “If the project was in the private sector it would end in a year,” he said.
Asked what is happening with the gas network, the minister said that after the court was canceled in court there is no network procedure. “There is a connection on the table, a few meters from the EAC, which is ready, and a 2km pipeline to connect to the manifold that will end up. So we are talking about two simple connections, not a network, “he said.
In closing, the minister said the project was received with severe weights from previous situations and decisions. “If the project started today, this government would not make the decisions taken then. The contractor selection and contracts with terrible ambiguity would not be repeated, “he said.
He also added that the project is concerned with everyone and therefore called on not adopting the rhetoric of “we and you”. “The responsibility is elsewhere, not in this government, not in this lazy. We manage it as best we can, “he said.
In his statements following the completion of the committee, Mr Hatzigiannis said that “unfortunately, the government, hidden behind the legal advice of private individuals, is coming back to say that it has failed to manage the pending Basilica and does not even hope that it can do something.” He noted that we do not know when it is the final timetable for natural gases in the country and talked about misinformation of the House.
Mr Hatzigiannis pointed out that as a result the Cypriot consumer is burdened with additional € 15 million a year for the non -arrival of gas, and added that they want to impose additional 3% increases on the current. “It was clear that the course of Vasilikos’ work is uncharted without timetables and commitments,” he said.
For his part, Mr Costas said that if someone looks at the minutes of the Commission’s previous meetings, “we did not proceed with anything. We are spectators in the same work. ” As he said, in a year we will know how to move on, then “we will see whether we continue with bids and offers for land infrastructure and what will happen to the pier.”
He recalled that the minister had told Parliament a few months ago that it was possible to have natural gas with the completion of infrastructure, the arrival of ‘Prometheus’ in Cyprus and the completion of the pier by the end of 2025.
Moreover, leaving the cabinet later, the minister commented on what was said to the Commission. As he said that “our ministry, the current government, has undertaken its completion through procedures that are public and these procedures must be transparent but at the same time legal.”
Responding to a journalist’s question about the delays observed, the minister said the project adviser took over in early May. “You understand that the documents to be informed are too many, they are accessories markets, they are project construction and work that remained unfinished, so that this process can be completed,” he said.
“While preparing by the Officers of ETYFA and DEFA, the adviser has chosen that he should, with his own human resources, but also with specialized engineers to evaluate them,” he said.
At the moment, he added, “this evaluation is done and once it is completed, it will begin to see work on the field. We expect the consultant to give us a timetable, which will be both binding for both the consultant and for all of us. ”
Asked what project is significantly delayed, he said, the most difficult to achieve was the ship, but due to the actions that were taken, it is expected that its certification will be completed in October. “At the moment we have undertaken a project that has serious weights, the public processes are not the most rapid,” he said, noting that despite the delays, there must be transparency and the actions of ETYFA should be legal.
Source: KYPE