CAIRO: Egypt and Israel have signed a memorandum of understanding to consider the possibility of increasing Israeli gas supplies to Egypt with the aim of re-exporting and using the pipeline between the two countries to transport hydrogen in the future.
Last year, Egypt and Israel announced the start of pumping Israeli gas to Egypt through the EastMed Gas Pipeline, with the purpose of liquefying it at Egyptian liquefaction stations and re-exporting it to Europe.
A statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum added that the agreement is part of efforts aimed at expanding the use of less polluting fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region.
The MoU said that natural gas is a transitional fuel, as its use in the Eastern Mediterranean contributes to a significant reduction in emissions, especially after the sharp decline in the use of coal and petroleum in Egypt and Israel.
During the last few months, joint working groups from both countries held several meetings, during which a comprehensive review of the possibility of expanding natural gas supplies for re-export was conducted.
Tarek El Molla, Egyptian minister of petroleum and mineral resources, said that supporting joint cooperation in order to benefit from the natural resources in both countries is important.
Karine Elharrar, the Israeli minister of national infrastructures, energy and water resources, said Egypt is an important partner in achieving energy security in the region.