CAIRO, June 21 (MENA) – Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli on Thursday inspected the underway preparation at the second berth of SUMED Port in Ain Sokhna for receiving the offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) support vessel "Energos Eskimo".

The floating vessel is scheduled to enter into operation following the finalization of the technical work carried out at Sumed port.

During the inspection tour, Madbouli described the project of enhancing LNG import infrastructure at Ain Sokhna port as a strategic one that aims to strengthen the capacity of Egypt’s natural gas network and ensure reliable supply for consumption sectors during the peak summer season.

For his part, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said that arrangements to prepare the berth for docking and operating the “Energos Eskimo” vessel has been finalized, including the installation and testing.

He added that the vessel has the capacity to handle 750 million cubic feet of gas per day.

The project, which was launched in September, was carried out by technical teams from Egypt’s petroleum sector, who upgraded the second berth at Sumed to accommodate the new vessel, the minister added.

Badawi added that the project entails modifications to the marine berth, installation of two gas pipelines; one offshore (2.2 km) and one onshore (3.8 km) along with installing a loading arms to connect the vessel to Egypt’s national gas grid.

Meanwhile, the minister commended the great efforts exerted by teams of EGAS, GASCO, Petrojet, ENPPI, and SUMED companies.

A fourth LNG vessel is scheduled to arrive in Damietta in August, on the Mediterranean coast, ensuring stable and diversified energy supplies amid global uncertainties. (MENA)

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