The Ministry of Energy this week approved the start of the flow of natural gas to Egypt, via Jordan. This is a new export route, approved in light of the growing demand for Israeli natural gas in Egypt. Increasing the amount of natural gas exported to Egypt will actually take place through the Jordanian transmission system: the natural gas will come from the reservoirs in the heart of the sea through the Israeli transmission system to the connection point with the Jordanian transmission system near Beit She’an, from where it will flow to Aqaba It should be noted that natural gas will flow in this route during hours and days when there is available capacity in the Israeli transmission system and low demand in the local economy, so that the transmission in this route does not compete with the consumption of the local market. This transmission system has so far been used to transport gas to Jordan as part of an agreement signed in 2016 with the Jordanian Electric Company and the scope is about 3 BCM per year.
Exports through the route are expected to stand at 2.5-3 BCM in 2022, and may even increase to 4 BCM in subsequent years. Actual natural gas flow is expected to begin during the current month (February 2022) and increase the volume of natural gas exported to neighboring countries significantly relative to exports in recent years in accordance with export permits issued by the Ministry of Energy.
Today, the natural gas exported to Egypt passes from the reservoirs in the middle of the sea through the Israeli transmission system to the connection point to the EMG pipeline in Ashkelon, from there to al-Arish in Egypt and then flows through the Egyptian transmission system to local consumers in Egypt.
The Ministry of Energy said that the export of additional natural gas on such a large scale is expected to increase the state’s revenues from taxes and royalties. Exports through the new route in northern Jordan will generate revenues of an additional NIS 100 million for Ben Gurion Airport, through a transmission tariff.
It has also been said that beyond the economic benefits, natural gas exports to the region’s countries strengthen Israel’s geopolitical ties with neighboring countries, strengthen the energy security of the region’s countries and lead the eastern Mediterranean to a cleaner economy.