Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati said on Monday that Egyptian gas will resume its inflow to Jordan in January, pointing out that the price is not yet set.
In a statement on the sidelines of the 15th Arab Conference on Mining in Cairo, the minister expected the quantities supplied by the Egyptian side to reach 100 million cubic feet per day, representing about a third of Jordan’s gas needs.
The prices of gas supply, the minister added, “are currently under negotiation.”
Jordan relies on Egyptian gas for 80% of its electricity generation, with the other 20% largely imported from Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In total, the small country imports roughly 95% of its energy needs.
Jordan’s needs for natural gas is estimated at 330 million cubic feet per day, which is used to generate electricity.
Egyptian Oil Minister Tarek al-Mulla said in March that Egypt would resume natural gas transfers to Jordan in early 2019. It had been suspended in 2014 after a gas pipeline was bombed in the Lahfan area of al-Arish city, North Sinai.
According to Jordanian governmental statements, the cost of halted Egyptian gas imports amounted to roughly US$6 billion, due to a required shift to heavy fuel and diesel to generate electricity.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm.
