A floating storage and regasification unit destined for deployment in Cyprus has finally left the Chinese shipyard where it was converted, but the receiving facilities for vessel are still not ready to take it.
The 137,000-cbm FSRU Etyfa Prometheas (ex-Galea, built 2002), which was converted from an LNG carrier by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) for the now hugely delayed Vasilikos terminal project, left Shanghai on 14 December.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said the vessel will first head to Singapore.
He added: “… we are in discussions with a specific state, so that it can carry out the relevant checks on the readiness of the ship and whatever else needs to be done”.
The President added: “So, right now we see where it will end up, we are close to an agreement, I don’t want to mention the country before we are in the final stage, and from there on to see how it will be utilised until the infrastructure is ready in Cyprus for us to utilise it, where it will be rented.”
In 2023, TradeWinds reported that the United Arab Emirates was in talks over the FSRU Etyfa Prometheas.
Since then, projects in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brazil and two in the Mediterranean region have also been cited as potential temporary homes for the unit.
Christodoulides said: “It is a positive development that it has departed. This is one of the three legs concerning Vasiliko terminal, there are two others, and all the steps are in progress so that it can be completed as soon as possible and can be utilised, for the benefit of the people of Cyprus.”
He said natural gas is one of the three pillars of Cyprus’ energy strategy.
The President has previously said the FSRU terminal is expected to be completed at the end of 2025.
It was originally due to be in operation by 2019.
Cyprus’ Natural Gas Infrastructure Co, which is 70% controlled by the nation’s Natural Gas Public Co and 30% by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus, was to own the FSRU, jetty and shoreside infrastructure for the project.
In October, it emerged that Natural Gas Infrastructure Co and a Chinese consortium have reached an agreement for the delivery the FSRU.
Earlier this year the Chinese-led consortium building the terminal, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co, comprising Metron Energy Applications, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group and Wilhelmsen Ship Management, walked off the job.
The group said it had not been paid on time and blamed the developer’s lack of experience.
In July, it emerged that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office — the independent office of the European Union — had opened an investigation into the Vasilikos terminal project on suspicion of “procurement fraud, misappropriation of EU funds and corruption”.
About €101m ($106m) of EU funds from its Connecting Europe Facility programme went to the project, with the EU supplying a further €230m in loans.
