Jordan to host meeting of energy ministers to discuss agreement on Lebanon gas, electricity import

Jordan to host meeting of energy ministers to discuss agreement on Lebanon gas, electricity import
Amman will host a meeting to discuss an agreement that could see Lebanon import Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity via Syria.
2 min read
06 September, 2021
The meeting will bring together the energy ministers of the four countries to discuss the 2009 agreement [Getty]

Amman will host a meeting on Wednesday to discuss a potential agreement that could see Lebanon benefit from Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity, Jordan's Minister of Energy Hala Zawati announced on Sunday.

The meeting will include the Egyptian, Lebanese and Syrian energy ministers, who are scheduled to discuss the technical and financial aspects of the deal and set a timeframe for its roll out.

This deal dates to 2009, which allowed Lebanon to import Egyptian gas through Syria.

Zawati had expressed Jordan's readiness to also provide Lebanon with part of its electricity needs, stressing the importance of this cooperation to confront challenges that both countries were going through.

The Amman meeting comes days after a visit by a Lebanese ministerial delegation to Syria to discuss the plan, and after the Syrian regime agreed to let Lebanon use its territory to import gas and electricity.

Much of Syria’s infrastructure has been destroyed in its 10-year war, mostly by regime and shelling of opposition towns and cities.

Any deal to use Syrian territory to import Egyptian gas into Lebanon would require damaged infrastructure to be repaired.

The energy crisis in Lebanon has been exacerbated in recent months due to shortages of fuel which are necessary to fire power plants and private generators.

It comes as the Lebanese Central Bank gradually lifts subsidies due to dwindling US dollar reserves.

Power outages in Lebanon last 22 hours a day in some areas.

Lebanese security forces have in recent weeks found millions of litres of fuel hoarded and hidden across the country with some arrests being made.