Experts' report on Prometheas expected soon, ETYFA Chairman says

Chairman of the Natural Gas Infrastructure Company (ETYFA) Giorgos Ashikalis says the organisation expects to very soon receive the report prepared by foreign experts that will include the parameters for the upgrade of the 'Prometheas' vessel so that it can be certified as a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU).

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), he also said that the award of the bid for the project manager for the completion of the natural gas terminal in Vasilikos  is "in the final stages".

The report on the Prometheas vessel has to do with the current state of the ship and the necessary actions -upgrades- that must be made so that the ship is ready to be certified as an FSRU unit.

"The report will be submitted to ETYFA which will examine what upgrades are required, the timetables, the cost, in order to complete the preparation for the certification of the ship," he added.

He said that after the report is received, it will be evaluated and decisions will be made “to prepare the vessel so that it can go to a terminal to be certified as an FSRU.”

Ashikalis noted that natural gas terminals exist in the United Arab Emirates, Europe and Asia. Everything depends on the time it takes to upgrade the Prometheas, he added.

The President of ETYFA said that the most important pillar of the state’s energy policy is the natural gas terminal, followed by the second pillar which is Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and the third which concerns the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection (GSI, Great Sea Interconnector).

We are working on the first and most important pillar so that the state’s energy policy can yield results that include cheaper electricity to the country, he pointed out.

Asked about the natural gas terminal in Vasiliko, he said that "we are in the final stages of awarding the bid for a project  manager" and estimated that the bid will be awarded by the end of January, beginning of February.

The President of ETYFA said that there will be a final informative meeting with the bidders  and then preparation of the final documents. 

The project manager, he added, will record what needs to be done in order to proceed with the completion of the terminal in Vasiliko.

Concluding, he said that the project manager will contribute to the preparations for the tender for the completion of the project.

(Source: CNA)