Republic of Djibouti: mega gas project foundation stone laid by President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh today presided over the foundation stone laying ceremony for the new mega gas project, consisting of a natural gas pipeline, a liquefaction plant and an export terminal at Damerjog, Djibouti.
The pipeline project will enable Ethiopia to export gas to China and support socio-economic development across the region.
The new 700 km pipeline will transport up to 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Ethiopia to Djibouti. The liquefaction plant will have capacity to produce up to 10 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year after completion of the project.
Funded by Chinese firm POLY-GCL Petroleum Group Holdings Ltd, the project will cost approximately $4 billion. Construction work is expected to start shortly and will take three years to complete.
The Djiboutian Minister of Energy, Ali Mahmoud Yacoub, said: “The mega gas project involves three countries – Djibouti, Ethiopia and China - which have agreed to work together in order to make this project successful and operational as soon as possible.
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The foundation stone laying ceremony follows the signing of the Framework Agreement between Djibouti and POLY-GCL in October 2014, the Protocol Agreement between Djibouti and Ethiopia in February 2015, and the Heads of Agreement between Ethiopia and POLY-GCL in September 2015.
“Djibouti sits at the crossroads of one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, linking Europe, the Far East, the Horn of Africa and the Gulf. It is a natural gateway for Africa, providing sea, air, rail and road links.
"This project reinforces Djibouti’s position as a commercial and regional economic hub and will expand the capacity of its sea ports. It is also a great opportunity to strengthen the regional integration policy. Indeed, both Djibouti and Ethiopia seek to extend this policy to the energy sector.”
Barton Yu, Chairman and President of POLY-GCL, said: “This is an important energy project for POLY-GCL Petroleum Group in our endeavour to develop mutually beneficial cooperation with the Governments of Djibouti and Ethiopia. It will enhance the well-being of the Djiboutian and Ethiopian peoples, while creating a positive impact on China’s energy security.”
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