Ammon News - Prime Minister Dr. Jafar Hassan laid the foundation stone on Sunday for the construction of the Onshore Gas Regasification Unit, with a cost of nearly JD 90 million. The project is scheduled to open in the middle of next year, with a capacity of up to 700 million cubic feet per day, as part of the development of the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Port for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

The Onshore Regasification Unit is considered a strategic option for energy security, providing an alternative to the floating storage and regasification vessel. It aims to diversify energy sources and options, increase reserves, and improve the infrastructure of Jordan’s energy sector.

The project will enable Jordan to deal with multiple LNG suppliers from around the world and access various sources to ensure a secure and stable energy supply.

Alongside the development of the regasification unit, Jordan will maintain the option of importing LNG for electricity generation and meeting industrial demand, as a strategic measure to ensure energy continuity and reduce the operating costs of the LNG port for the National Electric Power Company.

Hassan also visited the Aqaba Marine Reserve following the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decision to add it to the World Heritage List. He praised the efforts behind this national achievement and stressed the importance of building on it to enhance Aqaba’s tourism, environmental, and economic standing.

The reserve’s inclusion on the World Heritage List recognizes Aqaba’s unique marine biodiversity and contributes to the protection of marine species, ecosystems, and coral reefs.

The reserve hosts more than 150 coral reef species, over 500 fish species, and around 1,000 rare and endangered marine organisms, making it one of the most biodiverse marine areas in the region and the world.