Array ( [PREVIEW_PICTURE] => Array ( [ID] => 75963 [TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.09.2025 13:20:04 [MODULE_ID] => iblock [HEIGHT] => 733 [WIDTH] => 1100 [FILE_SIZE] => 114926 [CONTENT_TYPE] => image/jpeg [SUBDIR] => iblock/50f [FILE_NAME] => 50fb1441e21803199d4c2c60e27292e9.jpg [ORIGINAL_NAME] => feature-kyriacos-The-Etyfa-Prometheas-the-FSRU-Floating-Storage-Regasification-Unit-is-still-in-Singapore-while-work-on-the-Vasiliko-terminal-has-stopped.jpg [DESCRIPTION] => [HANDLER_ID] => [EXTERNAL_ID] => f338375b994127f8034f9be969a9f1b3 [~src] => [SRC] => /upload/iblock/50f/50fb1441e21803199d4c2c60e27292e9.jpg [ALT] => Кипру отвели время до ноября для погашения грантов ЕС по проекту терминала СПГ в Василико [TITLE] => Кипру отвели время до ноября для погашения грантов ЕС по проекту терминала СПГ в Василико ) [~PREVIEW_PICTURE] => 75963 [ID] => 38529 [~ID] => 38529 [NAME] => Кипру отвели время до ноября для погашения грантов ЕС по проекту терминала СПГ в Василико [~NAME] => Кипру отвели время до ноября для погашения грантов ЕС по проекту терминала СПГ в Василико [IBLOCK_ID] => 2 [~IBLOCK_ID] => 2 [IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 2 [~IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 2 [DETAIL_TEXT] => Кипру дали время до ноября, чтобы погасить миллионы евро, которые были выплачены Европейской комиссией в виде грантов на строительство терминала сжиженного природного газа в Василико, согласно сообщениям в среду.

Комиссия первоначально потребовала в июле прошлого года, чтобы Кипр вернул почти 69 миллионов евро в виде грантов, а министерство энергетики заявило тогда, что получило письмо от комиссии, в котором перечислены «возможные нарушения, которые произошли в период оценки тендера» по проекту.

«Эти вопросы касаются критериев оценки консорциума China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co, Metron Energy Applications SA, Hudong-Zhongua Shipbuilding Group и Wilhelmsen Ship Management Limited», — добавили в сообщении.

Консорциум China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co и Metron Energy Applications SA вместе образовали консорциум CPP-Metron (CMC) и отвечали за строительство терминала до [расторжения контракта](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/18/vasiliko-lng-project-terminated/) с правительством в июле прошлого года.

В то время министерство заявило, что в письме «утверждается о двух существенных нарушениях»: первое — критерии присуждения тендера перечисленным выше компаниям в декабре 2019 года, а второе — подписание двустороннего соглашения после утверждения дополнительных 25 миллионов евро финансирования в июне 2022 года.

В результате, по их словам, комиссия потребовала от правительства Кипра вернуть ровно 68 608 438,46 евро — именно такую сумму комиссия выплатила Кипрской компании газовой инфраструктуры Etyfa.

Эти деньги были предоставлены в рамках проекта Европейского союза «Cyprus Gas 2 EU», который был внесён в список «проектов общего интереса» ЕС и финансировался ЕС на сумму 101 миллион евро.

Ранее в том же месяце Европейская прокуратура (EPPO) публично объявила о [начале расследования](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/25/eu-launches-corruption-investigation-into-vasiliko-lng-terminal/) по возможному мошенничеству при закупках, незаконному присвоению средств ЕС и коррупции, связанной с терминалом СПГ в Василико.

Кипр подписал контракт на проект СПГ в декабре 2019 года. На завершение всего проекта должно было уйти 22 месяца.

Тем не менее министр энергетики Джордж Папанастасиу во вторник заявил комитету Палаты по энергетике, что проект «осуществим, должен быть завершён и будет завершён».

Он ответил на вопросы депутатов о задержках в реализации проекта и сказал, что они произошли из-за того, что «в данный момент не так много вариантов, потому что проект не завершён».

«У нас есть судно, которое, вероятно, будет готово в следующем месяце после прохождения финальных проверок, и когда оно, самый важный актив в этом проекте, будет готово, остальное придётся как-то завершить, чтобы судно могло пришвартоваться у причала, начать газификацию и использовать природный газ в традиционной энергетике», — сказал он.

Судно, о котором он говорил, — это плавучее хранилище и установка для регазификации (FSRU) Prometheas, которое в настоящее время [находится в Малайзии](https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/05/31/fsru-prometheas-to-be-certified-in-october) в рамках процесса его сертификации для использования.

Ранее в этом году было заявлено, что сертификация Prometheas состоится в октябре.

Месяц назад он сказал, что правительство занимается «[ограничением ущерба](https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/08/23/govt-engaged-in-damage-limitation-over-vasiliko-lng-terminal)» после сообщений о «серьёзных проблемах с безопасностью» при строительстве терминала в Василико, а телевизионный канал Omega сообщил, что в проекте есть «проблемы с проектированием и материалами».

«Есть очень серьёзные технические проблемы, которые делают невозможным продолжение работ в настоящее время. Именно поэтому работы на пирсе уже несколько месяцев приостановлены, и власти не называют сроков завершения работ», — цитирует «компетентный источник» Omega.

В конце прошлого года он сказал, что цель правительства — завершить строительство терминала СПГ в Василико к [концу этого года](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/12/03/govts-goal-to-have-vasiliko-complete-by-end-of-2025), хотя проблемы, поднятые на этой неделе, похоже, стали ещё одной неудачей для проекта, который в последние годы сталкивался с многочисленными проблемами.

Работы были остановлены в прошлом году, когда CMC разорвала контракт с правительством по строительству терминала, обвинив Etyfa в «запугивании» и в том, что они годами работали «без надлежащих и своевременных выплат».

CMC добавила, что у Etyfa и её советников по проекту «практически не было соответствующего опыта ни в одном из основных компонентов для реализации проекта такого рода: нефть и газ, инжиниринг, закупки и строительные работы, а также переоборудование газовоза в плавучее хранилище для регазификации».

«Ситуация стала невыносимой. Вопреки обещаниям министра [энергетики] в марте, CMC до сих пор не получила никаких выплат за свою работу в 2024 году.

«Это лишь последняя неудача в четырёхлетней истории, характеризующейся неправомерным удержанием и задержкой платежей. Ни один подрядчик не может работать бесконечно в кредит. Это не та сделка, которую подписал CMC. Это не та сделка, которую ЕС согласился финансировать», — сказали они. [~DETAIL_TEXT] => Кипру дали время до ноября, чтобы погасить миллионы евро, которые были выплачены Европейской комиссией в виде грантов на строительство терминала сжиженного природного газа в Василико, согласно сообщениям в среду.

Комиссия первоначально потребовала в июле прошлого года, чтобы Кипр вернул почти 69 миллионов евро в виде грантов, а министерство энергетики заявило тогда, что получило письмо от комиссии, в котором перечислены «возможные нарушения, которые произошли в период оценки тендера» по проекту.

«Эти вопросы касаются критериев оценки консорциума China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co, Metron Energy Applications SA, Hudong-Zhongua Shipbuilding Group и Wilhelmsen Ship Management Limited», — добавили в сообщении.

Консорциум China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co и Metron Energy Applications SA вместе образовали консорциум CPP-Metron (CMC) и отвечали за строительство терминала до [расторжения контракта](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/18/vasiliko-lng-project-terminated/) с правительством в июле прошлого года.

В то время министерство заявило, что в письме «утверждается о двух существенных нарушениях»: первое — критерии присуждения тендера перечисленным выше компаниям в декабре 2019 года, а второе — подписание двустороннего соглашения после утверждения дополнительных 25 миллионов евро финансирования в июне 2022 года.

В результате, по их словам, комиссия потребовала от правительства Кипра вернуть ровно 68 608 438,46 евро — именно такую сумму комиссия выплатила Кипрской компании газовой инфраструктуры Etyfa.

Эти деньги были предоставлены в рамках проекта Европейского союза «Cyprus Gas 2 EU», который был внесён в список «проектов общего интереса» ЕС и финансировался ЕС на сумму 101 миллион евро.

Ранее в том же месяце Европейская прокуратура (EPPO) публично объявила о [начале расследования](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/25/eu-launches-corruption-investigation-into-vasiliko-lng-terminal/) по возможному мошенничеству при закупках, незаконному присвоению средств ЕС и коррупции, связанной с терминалом СПГ в Василико.

Кипр подписал контракт на проект СПГ в декабре 2019 года. На завершение всего проекта должно было уйти 22 месяца.

Тем не менее министр энергетики Джордж Папанастасиу во вторник заявил комитету Палаты по энергетике, что проект «осуществим, должен быть завершён и будет завершён».

Он ответил на вопросы депутатов о задержках в реализации проекта и сказал, что они произошли из-за того, что «в данный момент не так много вариантов, потому что проект не завершён».

«У нас есть судно, которое, вероятно, будет готово в следующем месяце после прохождения финальных проверок, и когда оно, самый важный актив в этом проекте, будет готово, остальное придётся как-то завершить, чтобы судно могло пришвартоваться у причала, начать газификацию и использовать природный газ в традиционной энергетике», — сказал он.

Судно, о котором он говорил, — это плавучее хранилище и установка для регазификации (FSRU) Prometheas, которое в настоящее время [находится в Малайзии](https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/05/31/fsru-prometheas-to-be-certified-in-october) в рамках процесса его сертификации для использования.

Ранее в этом году было заявлено, что сертификация Prometheas состоится в октябре.

Месяц назад он сказал, что правительство занимается «[ограничением ущерба](https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/08/23/govt-engaged-in-damage-limitation-over-vasiliko-lng-terminal)» после сообщений о «серьёзных проблемах с безопасностью» при строительстве терминала в Василико, а телевизионный канал Omega сообщил, что в проекте есть «проблемы с проектированием и материалами».

«Есть очень серьёзные технические проблемы, которые делают невозможным продолжение работ в настоящее время. Именно поэтому работы на пирсе уже несколько месяцев приостановлены, и власти не называют сроков завершения работ», — цитирует «компетентный источник» Omega.

В конце прошлого года он сказал, что цель правительства — завершить строительство терминала СПГ в Василико к [концу этого года](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/12/03/govts-goal-to-have-vasiliko-complete-by-end-of-2025), хотя проблемы, поднятые на этой неделе, похоже, стали ещё одной неудачей для проекта, который в последние годы сталкивался с многочисленными проблемами.

Работы были остановлены в прошлом году, когда CMC разорвала контракт с правительством по строительству терминала, обвинив Etyfa в «запугивании» и в том, что они годами работали «без надлежащих и своевременных выплат».

CMC добавила, что у Etyfa и её советников по проекту «практически не было соответствующего опыта ни в одном из основных компонентов для реализации проекта такого рода: нефть и газ, инжиниринг, закупки и строительные работы, а также переоборудование газовоза в плавучее хранилище для регазификации».

«Ситуация стала невыносимой. Вопреки обещаниям министра [энергетики] в марте, CMC до сих пор не получила никаких выплат за свою работу в 2024 году.

«Это лишь последняя неудача в четырёхлетней истории, характеризующейся неправомерным удержанием и задержкой платежей. Ни один подрядчик не может работать бесконечно в кредит. Это не та сделка, которую подписал CMC. Это не та сделка, которую ЕС согласился финансировать», — сказали они. [DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html [~DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html [PREVIEW_TEXT] => Кипру дали время до ноября, чтобы погасить миллионы евро, которые были выплачены Европейской... [~PREVIEW_TEXT] => Кипру дали время до ноября, чтобы погасить миллионы евро, которые были выплачены Европейской... [PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html [~PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html [DETAIL_PICTURE] => Array ( [SRC] => /upload/resize_cache/iblock/50f/600_400_1/50fb1441e21803199d4c2c60e27292e9.jpg [WIDTH] => 600 [HEIGHT] => 399 ) [~DETAIL_PICTURE] => 75964 [ACTIVE_FROM] => 24.09.2025 13:20:00 [~ACTIVE_FROM] => 24.09.2025 13:20:00 [LIST_PAGE_URL] => /news/ [~LIST_PAGE_URL] => /news/ [DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /news/society/cyprus-given-until-november-to-repay-eu-grants-for-vasiliko-lng-terminal/ [~DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /news/society/cyprus-given-until-november-to-repay-eu-grants-for-vasiliko-lng-terminal/ [LANG_DIR] => / [~LANG_DIR] => / [CODE] => cyprus-given-until-november-to-repay-eu-grants-for-vasiliko-lng-terminal [~CODE] => cyprus-given-until-november-to-repay-eu-grants-for-vasiliko-lng-terminal [EXTERNAL_ID] => 38529 [~EXTERNAL_ID] => 38529 [IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => news [~IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => news [IBLOCK_CODE] => infoportal_news_s1 [~IBLOCK_CODE] => infoportal_news_s1 [IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] => infoportal_news_s1 [~IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] => infoportal_news_s1 [LID] => s1 [~LID] => s1 [NAV_RESULT] => [DISPLAY_ACTIVE_FROM] => 24 Сентября 2025 [IPROPERTY_VALUES] => Array ( ) [FIELDS] => Array ( [PREVIEW_PICTURE] => Array ( [ID] => 75963 [TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.09.2025 13:20:04 [MODULE_ID] => iblock [HEIGHT] => 733 [WIDTH] => 1100 [FILE_SIZE] => 114926 [CONTENT_TYPE] => image/jpeg [SUBDIR] => iblock/50f [FILE_NAME] => 50fb1441e21803199d4c2c60e27292e9.jpg [ORIGINAL_NAME] => feature-kyriacos-The-Etyfa-Prometheas-the-FSRU-Floating-Storage-Regasification-Unit-is-still-in-Singapore-while-work-on-the-Vasiliko-terminal-has-stopped.jpg [DESCRIPTION] => [HANDLER_ID] => [EXTERNAL_ID] => f338375b994127f8034f9be969a9f1b3 [~src] => [SRC] => /upload/iblock/50f/50fb1441e21803199d4c2c60e27292e9.jpg [ALT] => Кипру отвели время до ноября для погашения грантов ЕС по проекту терминала СПГ в Василико [TITLE] => Кипру отвели время до ноября для погашения грантов ЕС по проекту терминала СПГ в Василико ) ) [PROPERTIES] => Array ( [ORIGINAL_URL] => Array ( [ID] => 51 [TIMESTAMP_X] => 2017-10-03 13:37:23 [IBLOCK_ID] => 2 [NAME] => Ссылка на сайте-источнике [ACTIVE] => Y [SORT] => 10 [CODE] => ORIGINAL_URL [DEFAULT_VALUE] => [PROPERTY_TYPE] => S [ROW_COUNT] => 1 [COL_COUNT] => 30 [LIST_TYPE] => L [MULTIPLE] => N [XML_ID] => [FILE_TYPE] => [MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5 [TMP_ID] => [LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0 [WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N [SEARCHABLE] => N [FILTRABLE] => N [IS_REQUIRED] => N [VERSION] => 1 [USER_TYPE] => [USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] => [HINT] => [PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 116757 [VALUE] => /2025/09/24/cyprus-given-until-november-to-repay-eu-grants-for-vasiliko-lng-terminal [DESCRIPTION] => [VALUE_ENUM] => [VALUE_XML_ID] => [VALUE_SORT] => [~VALUE] => /2025/09/24/cyprus-given-until-november-to-repay-eu-grants-for-vasiliko-lng-terminal [~DESCRIPTION] => [~NAME] => Ссылка на сайте-источнике [~DEFAULT_VALUE] => ) [THEME_EN] => Array ( [ID] => 280 [TIMESTAMP_X] => 2025-01-08 18:01:42 [IBLOCK_ID] => 2 [NAME] => Тема (en) [ACTIVE] => Y [SORT] => 20 [CODE] => THEME_EN [DEFAULT_VALUE] => [PROPERTY_TYPE] => S [ROW_COUNT] => 1 [COL_COUNT] => 30 [LIST_TYPE] => L [MULTIPLE] => N [XML_ID] => [FILE_TYPE] => [MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5 [TMP_ID] => [LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0 [WITH_DESCRIPTION] => Y [SEARCHABLE] => N [FILTRABLE] => Y [IS_REQUIRED] => N [VERSION] => 1 [USER_TYPE] => [USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] => [HINT] => [PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 116759 [VALUE] => Cyprus ‘given until November’ to repay EU grants for Vasiliko LNG terminal [DESCRIPTION] => [VALUE_ENUM] => [VALUE_XML_ID] => [VALUE_SORT] => [~VALUE] => Cyprus ‘given until November’ to repay EU grants for Vasiliko LNG terminal [~DESCRIPTION] => [~NAME] => Тема (en) [~DEFAULT_VALUE] => ) [TEXT_EN] => Array ( [ID] => 281 [TIMESTAMP_X] => 2025-01-08 18:01:42 [IBLOCK_ID] => 2 [NAME] => Текст новости (en) [ACTIVE] => Y [SORT] => 40 [CODE] => TEXT_EN [DEFAULT_VALUE] => [PROPERTY_TYPE] => S [ROW_COUNT] => 1 [COL_COUNT] => 30 [LIST_TYPE] => L [MULTIPLE] => N [XML_ID] => [FILE_TYPE] => [MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5 [TMP_ID] => [LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0 [WITH_DESCRIPTION] => Y [SEARCHABLE] => N [FILTRABLE] => Y [IS_REQUIRED] => N [VERSION] => 1 [USER_TYPE] => HTML [USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] => Array ( [height] => 200 ) [HINT] => [PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 116760 [VALUE] => Array ( [TEXT] => Cyprus has been given until November to repay millions of euros which had been paid by the European Commission in grants for the construction of the liquefied natural gas terminal at Vasiliko, according to reports on Wednesday. The commission had initially demanded in [July last year](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/27/eu-demands-cyprus-repay-e69m-in-lng-grants/) that Cyprus repay almost €69m in grants, with the energy ministry saying at the time that it had received a letter from the commission which listed “possible irregularities which occurred during the evaluation period of the tender” for the project. “These issues concern the evaluation criteria of the China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co consortium, Metron Energy Applications SA, Hudong-Zhongua Shipbuilding Group and Wilhelmsen Ship Management Limited,” it added. The China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co consortium and Metron Energy Applications SA together formed the CPP-Metron Consortium (CMC) and were responsible for the terminal’s construction until [tearing up their contract](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/18/vasiliko-lng-project-terminated/) with the government in July last year. At the time, the ministry said the letter “alleges two substantive violations”, the first being the criteria for awarding the tender to the above-listed companies in December 2019 and the second being the signing of the bilateral agreement upon approval of an additional €25m in funding in June 2022. As a result, they said, the commission has demanded that the Cypriot government repay exactly €68,608,438.46, which was the exact amount which had been paid by the commission to Cyprus’ Natural Gas Infrastructure Company, Etyfa. This money had been provided as part of the European Union’s ‘Cyprus Gas 2 EU’ project, which was listed as an EU “project of common interest” and had been funded by the EU to the tune of €101m. The European public prosecutor’s office (EPPO) had earlier in the same month publicly announced the [opening of an investigation](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/25/eu-launches-corruption-investigation-into-vasiliko-lng-terminal/) into possible procurement fraud, misappropriation of EU funds and corruption related to the Vasiliko LNG terminal. Cyprus signed the contract for the LNG project in December 2019. The entire project should have taken 22 months to complete. Nonetheless, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou had insisted to the House energy committee on Tuesday that the project “is feasible, should be completed and will be completed”. He was quizzed by MPs regarding delays to the project and said they had come about because “there are not many options at the moment because the project is incomplete”. “We have a ship, which will probably be ready next month after passing the final checks, and when that, the most important asset in this project, is ready, the rest of it will have to be completed in some way so that the ship can dock at the pier to begin gasification and the use of natural gas in conventional power generation,” he said. The ship to which he was referring is the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Prometheas, which is currently [in Malaysia](https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/05/31/fsru-prometheas-to-be-certified-in-october) as part of the process of its certification for use. It had been stated earlier in the year that Prometheas would be certified in October. A month ago, he had said the government was engaged in “[damage limitation](https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/08/23/govt-engaged-in-damage-limitation-over-vasiliko-lng-terminal)” following reports of “serious safety issues” regarding the Vasiliko terminal’s construction, with television channel Omega having reported there were “design and materials issues” with the project. “There are very serious technical issues, which make it impossible to continue the work at this time. That is why the work on the pier has been at a standstill for months and no timetable has been given by the authorities for the completion of the work,” Omega quoted a “competent source” as having said. He had said at the end of last year that the government’s goal was for the construction of the LNG terminal at Vasiliko to be complete by the [end of this year](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/12/03/govts-goal-to-have-vasiliko-complete-by-end-of-2025), though the issues raised this week appear to constitute another setback for a project which has faced numerous issues in recent years. Work had ground to a halt last year when CMC tore up its contract with the government to construct the terminal, accusing Etyfa of “bullying” and of leaving them to work “without proper or timely payments” for years. CMC added Etyfa and its advisers on the project “had little to no relevant experience in any of the essential components for delivering a project of this nature: oil and gas, engineering, procurement and construction works and conversion of an LNG carrier to a floating storage regasification unit.” “The position has become untenable. Contrary to the promises that were made by the [energy] minister in March, CMC has still not received any payment whatsoever for its work in 2024. “That is but the latest failure in a four-year history characterised by wrongful withholdings and delayed payments. No contractor can be expected to work indefinitely on credit. That was not the deal that CMC signed up to. It was not the deal that the EU agreed to fund,” they said. [TYPE] => HTML ) [DESCRIPTION] => [VALUE_ENUM] => [VALUE_XML_ID] => [VALUE_SORT] => [~VALUE] => Array ( [TEXT] => Cyprus has been given until November to repay millions of euros which had been paid by the European Commission in grants for the construction of the liquefied natural gas terminal at Vasiliko, according to reports on Wednesday. The commission had initially demanded in [July last year](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/27/eu-demands-cyprus-repay-e69m-in-lng-grants/) that Cyprus repay almost €69m in grants, with the energy ministry saying at the time that it had received a letter from the commission which listed “possible irregularities which occurred during the evaluation period of the tender” for the project. “These issues concern the evaluation criteria of the China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co consortium, Metron Energy Applications SA, Hudong-Zhongua Shipbuilding Group and Wilhelmsen Ship Management Limited,” it added. The China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co consortium and Metron Energy Applications SA together formed the CPP-Metron Consortium (CMC) and were responsible for the terminal’s construction until [tearing up their contract](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/18/vasiliko-lng-project-terminated/) with the government in July last year. At the time, the ministry said the letter “alleges two substantive violations”, the first being the criteria for awarding the tender to the above-listed companies in December 2019 and the second being the signing of the bilateral agreement upon approval of an additional €25m in funding in June 2022. As a result, they said, the commission has demanded that the Cypriot government repay exactly €68,608,438.46, which was the exact amount which had been paid by the commission to Cyprus’ Natural Gas Infrastructure Company, Etyfa. This money had been provided as part of the European Union’s ‘Cyprus Gas 2 EU’ project, which was listed as an EU “project of common interest” and had been funded by the EU to the tune of €101m. The European public prosecutor’s office (EPPO) had earlier in the same month publicly announced the [opening of an investigation](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/07/25/eu-launches-corruption-investigation-into-vasiliko-lng-terminal/) into possible procurement fraud, misappropriation of EU funds and corruption related to the Vasiliko LNG terminal. Cyprus signed the contract for the LNG project in December 2019. The entire project should have taken 22 months to complete. Nonetheless, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou had insisted to the House energy committee on Tuesday that the project “is feasible, should be completed and will be completed”. He was quizzed by MPs regarding delays to the project and said they had come about because “there are not many options at the moment because the project is incomplete”. “We have a ship, which will probably be ready next month after passing the final checks, and when that, the most important asset in this project, is ready, the rest of it will have to be completed in some way so that the ship can dock at the pier to begin gasification and the use of natural gas in conventional power generation,” he said. The ship to which he was referring is the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Prometheas, which is currently [in Malaysia](https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/05/31/fsru-prometheas-to-be-certified-in-october) as part of the process of its certification for use. It had been stated earlier in the year that Prometheas would be certified in October. A month ago, he had said the government was engaged in “[damage limitation](https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/08/23/govt-engaged-in-damage-limitation-over-vasiliko-lng-terminal)” following reports of “serious safety issues” regarding the Vasiliko terminal’s construction, with television channel Omega having reported there were “design and materials issues” with the project. “There are very serious technical issues, which make it impossible to continue the work at this time. That is why the work on the pier has been at a standstill for months and no timetable has been given by the authorities for the completion of the work,” Omega quoted a “competent source” as having said. He had said at the end of last year that the government’s goal was for the construction of the LNG terminal at Vasiliko to be complete by the [end of this year](https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/12/03/govts-goal-to-have-vasiliko-complete-by-end-of-2025), though the issues raised this week appear to constitute another setback for a project which has faced numerous issues in recent years. Work had ground to a halt last year when CMC tore up its contract with the government to construct the terminal, accusing Etyfa of “bullying” and of leaving them to work “without proper or timely payments” for years. CMC added Etyfa and its advisers on the project “had little to no relevant experience in any of the essential components for delivering a project of this nature: oil and gas, engineering, procurement and construction works and conversion of an LNG carrier to a floating storage regasification unit.” “The position has become untenable. Contrary to the promises that were made by the [energy] minister in March, CMC has still not received any payment whatsoever for its work in 2024. “That is but the latest failure in a four-year history characterised by wrongful withholdings and delayed payments. No contractor can be expected to work indefinitely on credit. That was not the deal that CMC signed up to. It was not the deal that the EU agreed to fund,” they said. 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