ETYFA VP George Petrou on Prometheus' upcoming departure from Shanghai

The floating unit Prometheus is ready to set sail from the Cosco shipyard in Shanghai to a new, as yet unknown destination, where it will obtain the necessary certification to come to Cyprus.

The return journey is anticipated to begin next week with the vessel’s ultimate destination being Vassiliko, Cyprus.

At the same time, the Natural Gas Infrastructure Company (ETYFA) is carrying out all the necessary procedures, aiming to complete the land works and the pier at Vassiliko by the end of 2025 or, at the latest, early 2026.

The Vice President of the Board of Directors of ETYFA, George Petrou, spoke to InBusinessNews about all the latest developments regarding the issue, emphasising that "everything is going well and according to our plans."

Floating unit Prometheus

In relation to the floating unit Prometheus, and in response to a relevant question, Petrou said that the ship will sail from Shanghai by next week.

"Initially, it will probably stop in Singapore to refuel and other necessary components and then sail to the port we will choose where it will dock," he added.

Asked whether the port where the floating unit will dock has been chosen, the Vice President of ETYFA stated that "studies and research are being conducted on where the ship will ultimately end up, in order to receive its certification and be able to be utilised as an FSRU floating unit."

One of the possibilities being considered, he added, is for the ship to dock in Saudi Arabia, while Greece is also among the options.

"However, nothing has been decided yet. We are looking at various options to see where we will end up," he pointed out, noting that "there are some procedures, which are a bit time-consuming and that is why there is this slight delay in making the final decision."

Asked long the Prometheus’ journey will last, Petrou estimated that it will last around a month.

As he explained, "if it finally ends up in the United Arab Emirates, it will take around 25 days to arrive from Singapore."

At the same time, he stressed that "by then, decisions will be made regarding the way in which Prometheus will be utilised until the works in Vassiliko are completed, where its final destination will be."

"Depending on where the floating unit will end up, the signing of relevant agreements will be required, either interstate between Cyprus and another country or corporate between ETYFA and another company. However, since the final decisions have not yet been made, we cannot say anything with complete certainty," the vice president of ETYFA further clarified.

The land works and the pier

Regarding the land projects and the pier at Vasilikos, Petrou told InBusinessNews that "in relation to the terminal, we are moving forward with various offers."

As he explained, "we decide with the engineer responsible for the project, we are also proceeding to examine various orders that exist for components and will then submit offers for each section."

"The goal of our actions is to complete the terminal by the end of 2025, as the Minister of Energy recently said," he added, emphasising that "however, due to bad weather that we all see in the next few months, there may be a relative delay of a few months."

"Despite this, however, we are proceeding with all the necessary procedures in order for the terminal to be completed by the end of 2025 or at the latest by the beginning of 2026," concluded the Vice President of ETYFA.

(Source: InBusinessNews)