Greek Community of Alexandria

Tag: Cyprus

  • EuroAfrica cable enters crucial phase

    EuroAfrica cable enters crucial phase

    The EuroAfrica Interconnector, a planned subsea electric cable connecting the Egyptian, Cypriot and Greek power grids to continental Europe has entered a crucial phase of conducting project studies with a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding among all parties having taken place on Monday.

    The officials attending the signing ceremony in Cairo endorsed their commitment to implementing the EuroAfrica Interconnector energy bridge connecting Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece with the European electric network with 2000MW.
    The aim of EuroAfrica is to offer significant economic and geopolitical benefits to the involved countries and contribute to the European Union’s target for 10 per cent of electricity interconnection between member states.

    President of EuroAfrica Interconnector Nasos Ktorides said that this inspired partnership can only bring benefits to the three participating nations.

    “Greece will increase its energy efficiency, and will become a major player in the European energy arena, Cyprus will be an electricity hub in the south eastern Mediterranean and Egypt will become an important energy hub for Africa and electricity carrier for the European continent,” he said.

    In a packed news conference attended by the highest officials of Egypt’s ministries of Energy, Electricity and Foreign Affairs, the Egyptian minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Dr Mohamed Shaker highlighted the importance of the submarine electric cable as part of his country’s strategic plan for economic development and energy security.

    Shaker emphasised both his personal commitment and that of the Egyptian government to bringing this great venture to fruition.

    Earlier, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called a meeting with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Shaker, where he expressed the government’s commitment to the project.

    Shaker announced after the meeting that El-Sisi requested that he be regularly informed on the progress of the project on a weekly basis and to ensure that the whole project is successfully completed within the desired timeframes.

    At the signing ceremony, the Egyptian power company chief Gaber Desouky described it as an historic moment, which brings Egypt closer to the day when it is connected to the pan-European electricity grid.

    In a brief address, the ambassadors of Cyprus, Charis Moritsis, and Greece, Michael Christos Diamessis, also expressed the support of their governments in taking the project forward.

    The conclusion of the necessary studies will mark the beginning of the implementation of the interconnector electric cable, which is expected to bolster the three countries’ energy security and independence, and allow them to export power to European countries with an energy deficit.

    (cyprus-mail.com)

  • Total to start exploratory drilling off Cyprus with Greece following

    Total to start exploratory drilling off Cyprus with Greece following

    The discovery of natural resources in Israel and Egypt has motivated big companies to look into the Eastern Mediterranean closer. The French oil exploration company Total is ready to start exploratory marine drilling off Cyprus.

    What made this possible was the discovery of the Egypt’s Zohr deposit. Experts argue that the chances for deposits of similar value in Cyprus’ neighboring Block 11 have really increased.

    Three companies so far have been awarded exploration licenses by Cyprus: Total, ExxonMobil and ENI.

    Total also plans to start similar drilling activities to Greece as well, in the Ionian Sea. A delegation from Total visited Greece a couple of weeks ago to discuss the relevant details with members of the Greek government.

    Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company CEO Charles Ellinas in an interview to New Europe on the 27th of January was asked if the massive Zohr deposit, the largest ever field discovered in the eastern Mediterranean, could affect negatively the export of hydrocarbons from Cyprus and Greece. His reply was that “it has affected Cyprus in that Cyprus was hoping to sell its gas to Egypt both for the domestic market and for liquefaction and export to Europe as LNG. This has now gone away because of commercial factors but also because of Zohr”, but “ the discovery of Zohr opened up the possibility of more discoveries in carbonate formations. “Total is drilling mid-2017 in block 11, adjacent to Zohr, and there are reasonable indications for a gas discovery”.

    Asked if both Greek and Cyprus hydrocarbons could be jointly exported to Europe and if they do need Israel as well, Ellinas noted that the problem for Cypriot and Israeli gas is commercial. “By the time it reaches Europe, by pipeline or as LNG, it is to expensive to compete with gas prices prevailing in Europe, particularly Russian gas. And these prices will be there for the longer term – at least to 2025,” he said, adding that if gas discoveries are made in Greece they will have a better chance. It is closer to Europe and by then there will be infrastructure in place to transport it.

    (www.tornosnews.gr)

  • Culture capital celebrations get underway in Paphos

    Culture capital celebrations get underway in Paphos

    CELEBRATIONS to mark the official opening of Pafos2017 got underway in the town on Saturday ahead of the main event later in the evening.

    A number of free events are being held in Paphos over the weekend to mark the occasion.

    Excitement is mounting in the town and the buoyant mood was further lifted by a superb performance from the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra at Kennedy Square in the heart of Paphos old town which was scheduled to start at 12 noon.

    Crowds gathered as the sun shone, braving a biting cold wind, to enjoy the hour long performance which also featured the Concert Clemens Choir and the Music Lyceum of Paphos Choir.

    The musical offering got off to a late start due to a technical sound issue which was resolved during the performance, but which didn’t manage to dampen the spirits of the performers or the audience.

    Cypriots, ex pat residents of all nationalities and visitors also enjoyed complimentary local wine and zivania.

    Aarhus and Paphos, the two European Capitals of Culture for 2017, will be connected throughout the year by a series of common projects and actions, of which this performance is the first.

    The work of the internationally renowned Danish composer, Lars Møller, was composed specifically for the opening event of the European Capital of Culture – Aarhus2017.  He was in Paphos to present his work with the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, the Concert Clemens Choir and the Music Lyceum of Paphos choir.

    The Paphos choir also performed at the Aarhus cultural capital opening celebrations in Denmark last weekend.

    The Aarhus Jazz Orchestra is conducted by Lars Møller, the Concert Clemens Choir by an energetic conducted Carsten Seyer Hansen.
    At the end of the concert, crowds were reminded to show their support and attend the main event later in Paphos which gets underway in the newly revamped town hall square at 7pm.

    A walk around the city and the main venues of the Pafos2017 European Capital of Culture also got underway at 10am. Information points and volunteers provided information to the public.

    Five recitals from five soloists, musicians and singers, performing works from the classical and the modern repertoire started at 10.45am at Vintage Art Café, Ananas 8Bit Coffee, Deloubak Espresso Cuisine Co, Beanhaus Coffee Roasters and Let them Eat Cake.

    Free parking for the weekend’s events will be available at a number of places including: Karavella, the new public parking behind the old police station, the 7th Elementary school stadium, Iakoveio Gymnastirio [Korinos] and underground parking at the government buildings.

    (cyprus-mail.com)

  • French Total preparing to drill off Cyprus for natural gas, says ministry source

    French Total preparing to drill off Cyprus for natural gas, says ministry source

    French energy company Total is preparing to make an exploratory marine drilling off Cyprus, a Ministry of Commerce and Energy source said on Saturday.

    Total, along with Italy’s ENI and Exxon Mobil, was awarded licenses for hydrocarbons exploration by Cyprus last month.

    The ministry source said Total plans to drill in block 11 of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, which shares a boundary to the south with the giant Egyptian Zohr natural gas well, the largest ever field discovered in the eastern Mediterranean.

    “We do not know yet when the drill will start, but we were notified that it will be soon,” the source said.

    The Zohr discovery by ENI reinvigorated interest in the eastern Mediterranean natural gas as the drilling was done in carbonate layers, whereas previous successful natural gas drilling was carried out in lime layers.

    A Total official said recently that the company’s interest in Cypriot block 11 was prompted by its proximity to the Zohr discovery, estimated to contain 30 trillion cubic feet of gas.

    Cypriot experts have said that block 11 sits on an undersea mountain range known as Eratosthenis, which was considered to be the source of all hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean.

    The news about the impending drilling comes as efforts to solve the Cyprus problem are nearing a peak, with guarantor countries Greece, Turkey and Britain joining in discussions about security arrangements.

    Turkey objects to drilling by Cyprus without the active participation of Turkish Cypriots, who pulled out of the government and the state 53 years ago.

    The discovery of natural gas in Cyprus’ continental shelf by United States-based Noble Energy and nearby discoveries by Israel is considered by analysts to be a factor strongly influencing Turkey’s interest in solving the Cyprus dispute.

    Cyprus and Egypt signed a framework agreement last August for the transfer of natural gas discovered by Noble Energy via pipe to Egypt’s liquefaction terminals. The gas field, about 85 km off Cyprus’ southern shores, is estimated to contain 4.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

    Some analysts say that Turkey counts on joining in on the proceeds from the gas by offering facilities for a gas pipe through its territory to Europe.
    An alternative route for the pipe is from the gas fields to Cyprus and Greece and from there to Prindisi in southern Italy.

    This route had originally been excluded because of the high cost involved in the project which calls for a pipe 2,000 km long, most of it on the sea bed, capable of a yearly capacity of 12 billion cubic meters of gas.

    But recent revised estimates by the European Union lowered the cost to around 5 billion euros, which is considered by specialists to be a viable proposition.

    The director general of the energy ministries of Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy are to meet in Brussels on Monday to consider plans for the project.

    Their talks will prepare a meeting of the Energy Ministers of the four countries scheduled for next month in Jerusalem.

    (famagusta-gazette.com)