Following an agreement with the consortium responsible for building the infrastructure for Cyprus' Natural Gas Project and the resumption of construction work, the Ministry of Energy is preparing for the arrival of the "Prometheus" floating unit, as reported by Brief.

Meanwhile, land-based construction in Vasilikos continues. However, the consortium has yet to specify how much additional personnel it needs, despite earlier indications that it would require at least 120 work visas to bring staff to Cyprus to complete the project by the end of 2024.

Regarding the "Prometheus" unit, which is currently at the consortium's shipyard in Shanghai, Minister of Energy George Papanastasiou is expected to meet with a classification society this week to understand the necessary certification requirements.

Specifically, "Prometheus" must receive two certifications. The first—expected within days—determines if the vessel is seaworthy and can transport Natural Gas. Once this certification is obtained, the unit will sail to Cyprus. The second certification concerns its operation as a floating regasification unit and will be issued later once it arrives and undergoes testing in Cyprus.

Brief reports that a request has been made for an external expert to assist the Cyprus government, alongside the Project Monitoring Team, which has already been established.

The construction contractor had halted the building work, blaming DEFA for delays and seeking €200 million in compensation while the matter is in arbitration.

However, with the involvement of the Energy Ministry and after an extensive meeting on Friday (16/3) with the representative of the Chinese consortium responsible for the terminal project, who visited the island for negotiations, an agreement was reached to resume construction.