Perhaps it is a more advantageous solution for Cyprus to keep the ship Prometheus in the port of Malaysia, Energy Minister Michalis Damianos said on Tuesday.
Before the parliamentary Energy Committee, the minister stated that the monthly cost of the ship for Cyprus today is 190 thousand. dollars. As he said, the ship is in a safe place in Malaysia and is an asset of the Republic, adding that it needs fuel every day. He explained that ETYFA's consultants are looking at ways to use Prometheus as an FSRU. The option of renting it for a period of time is also being considered. However, in order to rent it, it will need conversions and, then, in order for Cyprus to get it back, it will need conversions again. This, the minister explained, may lead to the loss of funding from the European Union. "It is probably more advantageous for the ship to stay in Malaysia and bring it to Cyprus when we want it," he added.
Regarding the cost of the terminal in Vasiliko, including Prometheus, he said that so far it is estimated at €240 million.
End of year EIB study ready for GSI
In relation to the GSI electrical interconnection, he said that there is a commitment to conduct a study on the new economic data of the project. He expressed the assessment that by the end of the year the study of the European Investment Bank will be ready. As he said, the price of electricity in Cyprus should not be increased by the cost of interconnection.
Commenting on reports, Mr. Damianos explained that the part of the Cyprus-Israel interconnection is not funded by the European Union, which makes it necessary to find alternative sources of funding. He indicated that consumers in Israel are expected to benefit more from this part of the project, while adding that geopolitical developments are an additional obstacle to its implementation.
According to the Minister of Energy, Cyprus needs the GSI in the context of energy sufficiency and security. He stressed that there are technical issues in relation to the repayment of the Cyprus-Greece project.
