Cyprus natural gas to reach Europe by March 2028, energy minister announces
The Cronos gas field off Cyprus will supply European markets via Egypt starting spring 2028, offering the EU an alternative energy source amid Ukraine war and Middle East instability.
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Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 4 items across 3 sources · 18h ago. Quotes are verbatim.
Cyprus's Energy Minister Michalis Damianos announced that natural gas from the Cronos undersea field off Cyprus's southern coast will begin flowing to Europe as early as March 2028. Partners TotalEnergies and Eni made a final investment decision last month to develop the field, with gas to be piped to Egypt's Zohr field, liquefied at Damietta, and shipped to Europe. The project represents Europe's first supply of Eastern Mediterranean gas and addresses the continent's energy security concerns amid Russia's war in Ukraine and Middle East turmoil.
- Cronos gas field will begin supplying Europe by March 2028, marking the first Eastern Mediterranean natural gas supply to European markets.
- TotalEnergies and Eni will pipe gas 105 km to Egypt's Zohr field for liquefaction at Damietta, costing approximately $2 billion.
- The project offers Europe an alternative energy source amid Russia's Ukraine war and Middle East instability, addressing EU energy independence concerns.
- Cyprus's six discovered gas fields position the Eastern Mediterranean as a strategic energy corridor, with additional fields expected to flow by 2033–2027.
How it unfolded
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Report Cyprus minister announces March 2028 gas start date
Michalis Damianos tells Associated Press in exclusive interview that Cypriot natural gas will flow to Europe as early as spring 2028, marking the first Eastern Mediterranean supply to European markets.
“It is important for Europe right now, because of the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, that Cyprus will be an alternative source of natural gas.”
Michalis Damianos · Mastodon ↗ -
Analysis Pipeline construction timeline and economics
Work on a pipeline from Cronos to Egypt's Zohr infrastructure 105 km away will begin later in 2026 and last up to 18 months, costing approximately $2 billion—about half the cost of developing other Cypriot fields due to proximity to existing infrastructure.
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Report Cyprus positions itself as emerging energy producer
Damianos emphasized that the Cronos field is relatively small but significant for Cyprus becoming a gas producer, with over 3 trillion cubic feet of reserves allocated for European markets and roughly one-fifth available for Egypt's domestic needs.
“It's a small reserve. Our income as a country is not going to be huge, so its importance is not the money, its importance the commencement of being a producer and having first gas.”
Michalis Damianos · Press ↗ -
Report Broader Eastern Mediterranean gas development strategy
Six gas fields have been discovered in Cyprus's Exclusive Economic Zone. ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy expect the Glafcos and Pegasus fields to flow by 2033, while a Chevron-led consortium is expected to decide on Aphrodite field development in summer 2027.
- 6 weeks quiet
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Event TotalEnergies and Eni approve Cronos development
Partners TotalEnergies of France and Italy's Eni made the final investment decision to develop the Cronos gas field off Cyprus's southern coast.
What people are saying verbatim
“It is important for Europe right now, because of the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, that Cyprus will be an alternative source of natural gas.”
Michalis Damianos, Cyprus Minister for Energy · Euronews / Associated Press ↗ · Aug 8
“This is important for Europe right now, because of the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, the fact that Cyprus will be an alternative source of natural gas.”
Michalis Damianos, Cyprus Minister for Energy · Euronews exclusive interview ↗ · Aug 8
“It is a relatively small reserve. Our revenues as a country will not be huge, so its importance does not lie in the money, but in the fact that we are starting to become producers and to bring our first natural gas on stream.”
Michalis Damianos, Cyprus Minister for Energy · Euronews ↗ · Aug 8
“It's a small reserve. Our income as a country is not going to be huge, so its importance is not the money, its importance the commencement of being a producer and having first gas.”
Michalis Damianos, Cyprus Minister for Energy · Fortune / Associated Press ↗ · Aug 8
“What we can say is that Exxon is the kind of company that keeps to schedules and sometimes even delivers earlier.”
Michalis Damianos, Cyprus Minister for Energy · Euronews ↗ · Aug 8