Following an agreement with the consortium in charge of constructing the infrastructure for the arrival of natural gas, the Cyprus Ministry of Energy is gearing up to bring the floating unit 'Prometheus' to Cyprus.

According to Brief's information, 'Prometheus' appears ready, with certification expected in the coming days to set sail for Cyprus.

It's noteworthy that the work on the floating unit in the consortium's Shanghai shipyard was in an advanced stage, unlike the onshore terminal at Vasilikos, which is 50% complete.

The Ministry of Energy currently anticipates three developments:

1. Assessment of the Vasilikos wharf based on existing contracts and ongoing construction.

2. Confirmation from the marine surveyor that the floating unit 'Prometheus' is ready according to agreements and can sail to Cyprus.

3. Identification by the company of additional personnel required to complete the work by the end of 2024.

Simultaneously, it's worth noting that the project will be monitored by Energy Minister George Papanastasiou himself, through the placement of personnel at the work site.

Additionally, a person reporting directly to the Ministry's General Director will observe the project daily.

Meanwhile, as the Project Monitoring Team is established, an expert from abroad – as previously reported by Brief – will provide their expertise to the government. Brief learns that discussions are underway with the said expert on possibly relocating to Cyprus with their team.

The contractor had previously halted construction work, attributing delays to DEFA and simultaneously seeking compensation of €200 million. The issue is currently under arbitration.

However, with the intervention of Energy Ministry, and after lengthy discussions on Friday (16/3) with the representative of the Chinese consortium tasked with the terminal project, who arrived on the island for consultations, an agreement was reached to restart the construction work.