Egypt's Petroleum Minister has inspected the start of operational trials for a new floating gas terminal in Jordan's port of Aqaba, a facility set to secure energy supplies for both countries by feeding imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the shared Arab Gas Pipeline, the ministry said. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said Minister Karim Badawi and his Jordanian counterpart, Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, toured the 'Energos Force' floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), which arrived in Aqaba earlier this month. The vessel will receive imported LNG shipments, convert the liquid fuel back into gas, and pump it into the Arab Gas Pipeline to meet consumption needs in both countries and respond effectively to any emergencies. "The 'Energos Force' FSRU will have a positive impact on securing gas supplies for various sectors in both Egypt and Jordan," Badawy said in the statement. "The vessel has a capacity of about 750 million cubic feet per day, and the necessary quantities will be determined according to the actual needs of the two countries." Badawy stressed the importance of joint cooperation in the natural gas sector, highlighting the integration achieved through the Arab Gas Pipeline and the utilisation of infrastructure in both countries, such as ports and FSRUs. He noted that the cooperation reflects the strong bilateral relations supported by the political leadership of both nations. The Jordanian energy minister, Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, said the FSRU has a strategic dimension and is an extension of the close cooperation between the two countries, especially in natural gas. The two ministers also visited a gas compressor station and the main control centre for the Arab Gas Pipeline in Aqaba, where they were briefed on the facility's operations and control systems. The statement noted the continuous coordination and cooperation between the control centre in Aqaba and the national gas grid's main control centre in Cairo to ensure operational efficiency in both countries.
