Opposition MPs on Tuesday voiced outrage at the government for giving them no clear answers as to the status of the LNG project at Vasiliko, with some politicians warning the cost could spiral to €1 billion.

The discussion in parliament quickly turned abrasive, when the chairman of Etyfa – the state-run natural gas infrastructure company – refused to disclose information regarding ongoing payments made to the government’s consultants on the LNG import project.

Etyfa head Giorgos Ashikalis was also less than forthcoming on a status report being compiled by Technip – the government’s technical consultants for the stalled project.

He refused to provide information to the House energy committee, arguing that in the past confidential information got leaked to the media. This, he said, hurt the government’s interests in the arbitration proceedings underway in London against the former Chinese-led contractor.

The Chinese-led consortium walked out in July 2024, leaving the LNG project in limbo.

At this point, committee chair Kyriacos Hadjiyiannis (Disy) threatened to suspend the proceedings – but got talked out of it by other MPs.

The session was attended by new Energy Minister Michalis Damianos, facing his first grilling by MPs regarding the LNG affair.

Damianos declined to give even a tentative timetable for the completion of the project.

He said only that the government is striving to “find a way” to finish the project, promising to come back at the next committee session with answers to specific questions.

The minister attributed part of the reason for the delays to red tape and cumbersome public procurement processes.

He was alluding to public tenders which the government is drafting from scratch, as it seeks out new sub-contractors for the half-finished works at the LNG terminal.

As to the Prometheas vessel, still moored in Malaysia, Damianos said it would get certified once it receives “a full load” – meaning of LNG.

Either way, he added, there is no point in bringing the vessel to Cyprus, since the pier at Vasiliko is not ready.

The Prometheas, a floating storage and regasification unit, would need to berth at Vasiliko, converting the LNG on board to its gaseous form. The gas would then be piped to the nearby power station.

Speaking to media later, Hadjiyiannis vented his frustration. He urged the government to take a political decision and stop ‘hiding behind’ its consultants.

The continued absence of LNG to generate electricity is costing Cypriot consumers about €1 million a day, he added – but did not clarify what he meant.

For his part, Akel leader and MP Stefanos Stefanou likewise complained about the lack of information from the government side.

He described the LNG project and the mooted interconnector with Greece as “two ticking time bombs” which the current administration inherited from the previous government of Nicos Anastasiades.

Stefanou asserted that the initial cost of the LNG project – €315 million – could end up ballooning to €1 billion.

And he recalled that from 2018 to the first half of 2025, Cyprus paid approximately €1.3 billion in greenhouse gas emissions allowances.

The island’s power plants currently use heavy fuel oil and diesel. The much-touted switch to LNG would bring down emissions considerably.