Filenews 24 August 2025
The Christodoulides Government, which has been in power for 2.5 years, "is objectively burdened with the tragic management of the project in Vassiliko from March 2023 until today", reports Alma and speaks of "zero progress, with the tolerance of the current Government, ministerial interventions to make payments to the contractor and serious quality problems in the piles and other constructions".
The full announcement:
Without a doubt, the Anastasiades-DISY government bears enormous responsibility for the scandal in Vassilikos, which, we recall, has to do with the arrival of natural gas in Cyprus – a project of vital importance for the country's energy shielding. The current Minister of Energy, Mr. Papanastasiou, told the Parliamentary Committee on Energy (1/7/2025) that the Vassilikos project was received with serious burdens by the previous Anastasiades government (choice of contractor and contracts with ambiguities).
Apart from the fact that Nikos Christodoulides was part of that government, which his current political partner described as "the most corrupt", his own government is already completing 2.5 years in power. Therefore, it is objectively burdened with the tragic management of the project from March 2023 until today.
1. The data
- Zero substantial progress, for months, with the tolerance of the current Government, ministerial interventions to make payments to the contractor and serious quality problems in the piles and other constructions were handled by the current Government.
- President Christodoulides himself went to the Chinese construction site in March 2024 and praised them for their positive attitude. Three months later, the Chinese terminated the contract.
- In June 2024, the Minister of Energy assured the Parliament that a new open tender for the completion of the project would be announced soon. This was followed by 14 months of searching for a way to directly award it to a subcontractor, who is related to a political companion of President Christodoulides.
- In the meantime, we have paid the ransom of €40m. that the Chinese demanded in order to deliver us the "Prometheus" (the ship-floating natural gas dehydrogenation unit), which remains indefinitely in Malaysia. We paid the ransom with the argument that the land and port works were expected to be completed and, therefore, the arrival of natural gas should not be delayed due to delays in the ship's work. The icing on the cake: We have directly entrusted the management of the ship to a Norwegian company of interests, which, together with the Chinese CPP, constitute the consortium of the project, the one with which we are supposed to be in court!
2. The moving schedules
- 01/02/2024 – Minister: the July 2024 target "probably unachievable", "small postponement".
- 23/07/2024 – Minister: "realistic" natural gas in the first half of 2025.
- 03/12/2024 – Minister: "Completed terminal by the end of 2025".
- 17/12/2024 – Minister: mocks experts who question completion by the end of 2025.
- 13/03/2025 – President: "all projects" by the end of 2025.
- 09/07/2025 – Minister: new timetables only in March 2026 by the new councillor.
- 19/08/2025 – Minister: possible "change of course".
From the slight postponement in July 2024 and the first half of 2025, we have reached the "end of 2025" and now pending until at least March 2026. As a result, there will be no natural gas in 2026 either.
3. The truth about the EPPO survey
It is not the case that the EPPO only examines awards. Its official announcement (25/07/2024) states that the investigation starts from the Report of the Audit Service (19/01/2024) and covers both the bidding process and the execution of the contract. The Report includes implementation issues that also concern the period after March 1, 2023. Responsibilities cannot be transferred elsewhere.
4. What we demand now
- Public, binding completion timeline with monthly milestones.
- Full disclosure of the technical findings for safety and quality, as well as the report of the specialized consultant.
- Direct open tender for the completion of the project.
5. Our message
The work in Vassiliko is not a matter of communication. It is a matter of energy security, the cost of electricity and products, the well-being of citizens, the credibility of institutions. The government must speak clearly, assume its responsibilities and deliver a result.
Alma will insist on transparency, design and protection of public money.
