LNG imports reach 66 billion cubic feet — ministry

AMMAN — Jordan’s imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) have reached 66 billion cubic feet since the opening of the country’s first LNG terminal in 2015, a government official said on Tuesday.

At present, 82 per cent of Jordan’s electricity is generated using the imported LNG, which has saved the country millions of dinars and decreased the energy bill by reducing the Kingdom’s reliance on diesel and heavy fuel to generate power, said Haidar Gammaz, spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. 

“The opening of the terminal has played a significant role in reducing energy spending in Jordan and more shipments of LNG are to come to Jordan in the future as the country has signed several deals in this regard,” Gammaz told The Jordan Times.

Jordan has received around 20 shipments of LNG since the opening of the terminal, he said, adding that each shipment consisted of 125,000 to 136,000 cubic metres of LNG.

Jordan started importing LNG in mid 2015 after the inauguration of the Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Terminal in Aqaba, some 330km south of Amman.

Since then, the Kingdom’s dependence on gas has contributed to a decrease in electricity costs by 25 to 30 per cent.

Previously, Jordan had been forced to switch to importing diesel and heavy fuel for power generation after repeated cuts to the natural gas supply from Egypt and a complete halt to supplies in early 2014.