Under the aegis of the United States, Egypt, Jordan and Syria are in the process of agreeing to allow Beirut to import gas and revive massive electricity production.
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Since it has been unveiled in August 2021, the project to send Egyptian gas and electricity from Jordan to Lebanon, via Syria, is littered with obstacles. The guarantees claimed to the American administration by Cairo, with regard to the sanctions imposed on the Syrian regime, and the packaging of a World Bank loan to the reform of the electricity sector in Lebanon have delayed the finalization of a OK. “In the two months, we will receive Jordan’s Egyptian gas and electricity,” says Optimist, the Lebanese Minister of Energy, Walid Fayad, in the world.
The experts consider the very ambitious calendar, despite the “progress” reported by the American Amos Hochstein Special Envoy, during his visit to Beirut, Wednesday 9 February. For the latter, there will be no “second chance”. The energy agreement could offer six hours of additional electricity in the country of cedar, while the National Electricity Company of Lebanon (EDL) provides only two hours a day – an average production of 400 megawatts (MW), against 1 500 MW before the crisis.
The Jordanian component of the agreement, which plans to import about 200 MW of electricity with high-voltage lines that connect Jordan to Lebanon, via Syria, was signed at the end of January. The Egyptian component remains priority. “Americans have a geopolitical interest in reducing Lebanon to Egypt and to consolidate the role of Egypt as a gas hub,” says a foreign observer, which estimates “the agreement already well tied on the technical component”. The gas should allow the use of the Deir Ammar (North) plant at full capacity (450 MW).
“The Egyptians want strong guarantees”
“Some 650 million cubic meters of gas per year will be transported from Egypt to Jordan via the [pipeline] Arab Gas Pipeline, then to Syria, where they will be used to produce electricity. An exchange is Planned with the Syrians, who will give us gas from the field of Homs [West], “explains Walid Fayyad. In return, the Syrian regime will be allocated a share of Egyptian gas: 8%, affirmed the Syrian Ministry of Petroleum on February 5th. “It’s still in discussion,” says Fayyad.
“The American administration supports the agreement and undertakes to provide a letter that clarifies that the agreement does not involve sanctions. I hope that in a few days we will have a contract,” continues the minister. These guarantees are required from the Egyptians, who have fallen under the penalties provided for since 2019 as part of the law “CESAR” against any natural or legal person trading with the Damascus regime or contributing to the reconstruction of the country.
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