Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, inspected the Damietta liquefied natural gas (DLNG) plant, located northwest of Damietta Port, to review the efficiency of its operational systems, noted a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR).

During the tour, the Minister inspected various units of the plant and listened to a briefing from Yassin Mohamed, Deputy CEO of DLNG, on the operational system of the plant, whose liquefication capacity revolves around  5 million tons (mmt) of LNG annually.

Mohamed affirmed the plant’s full technical readiness and its commitment to applying the highest standards of occupational health and safety (HSE). He also reviewed the system for receiving and storing imported LNG shipments, which involves unloading cargoes at the plant’s jetty and storing them in designated tanks, maximizing the use of available assets and infrastructure. The Minister instructed that efforts continue to optimize these capabilities, given their economic and strategic importance in sustaining plant operations and improving asset utilization efficiency.

The visit is part of the MoPMR’s strategy to maximize the utilization of Egypt’s advanced LNG infrastructure, anchored by the Damietta and Idku plants, the only natural gas liquefaction facilities in the Eastern Mediterranean, thereby consolidating Egypt’s position as a regional hub for energy trade and exchange.

The minister explained that Egypt’s integrated infrastructure for natural gas liquefaction opens wide horizons for attracting further investments and establishing strategic partnerships with countries and international companies, citing ongoing cooperation with Cyprus and investment partners in both countries to utilize Cypriot gas resources through Egypt’s infrastructure.

The facility is well‑positioned to assume a pivotal role in liquefaction and export by receiving volumes of gas from Cyprus once production begins and re‑exporting them to international markets,

In a related context, Badawi inspected the Energos Winter floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at the United Gas Derivatives Company (UGDC) terminal in Damietta Port. During the visit, he met with the vessel’s crew and received assurances regarding the consistency and efficiency of its operational processes.

The vessel is one of four FSRUs currently operating in Egypt to receive imported LNG shipments, in addition to three units at Sokhna Port. These vessels convert the LNG back into its natural state and inject it into the national gas grid, helping to secure the needs of the domestic market, particularly the electricity and industrial sectors, and enhancing the flexibility of Egypt’s gas supply system.