Cyprus to Begin Supplying Gas to Europe for the First Time in 2028
Cyprus plans to start first deliveries of its own natural gas to the European market in 2028. The fuel will be extracted from the Cronos offshore field and transported via Egypt’s infrastructure.
Initially, all gas from Cronos is planned to be directed to the European market, and later Egypt will be able to retain up to 20% of production for domestic needs.
The Italian energy company Eni has already made a final investment decision for the development of the field. The project will be the first-ever industrial extraction and export of Cyprus’s own hydrocarbons.
The Cronos field is located in the deepwater Block 6 of the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus. Its initial reserves are estimated at over 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
The gas is planned to be sent via a subsea pipeline to the existing infrastructure of the Zohr field in Egypt. After processing, it will be transported to the LNG plant in Damietta, from where LNG will be supplied to international markets, primarily Europe.
The design production capacity is expected to reach 500 million cubic feet of gas per day. Using existing Egyptian facilities is expected to reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, and accelerate the gas coming to the market.
The development of Cronos is managed by Eni, which holds 50% of the project. The other 50% is controlled by French TotalEnergies.
Eni plans to sell half of the LNG produced within the project — about 1.4 million tonnes per year. The company expects this will help increase its LNG contract portfolio to more than 20 million tonnes per year by 2030.
The government of Cyprus previously approved the development and production plan for Cronos, as well as the key terms for gas sales. Energy Minister Michalis Damianou stated that first supplies are expected by mid‑2028.
Cyprus’s entry to the European gas market should help the EU diversify supplies and reinforce the role of the Eastern Mediterranean as an alternative source of energy.
Source: Eni, Cyprus Mail
