Egypt's Cabinet Media Center has denied reports claiming that Egypt will pay $50 million to repair the Energos Winter floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), which was damaged in an incident at Damietta Port in July. The media centre stated that the claim was fabricated and misleading, citing the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, which denied that Egypt had agreed to bear any such repair costs.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources also denied reports attributed to an unnamed source at the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), saying that no EGAS official had made statements confirming that Egypt would pay $50 million to repair the vessel. The ministry said it reserves all legal rights against those who published or republished the claims or falsely attributed statements to EGAS officials.
The Energos Winter was among the floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) deployed by Egypt to receive liquefied natural gas (LNG), convert it back into gas, and feed it into the national grid. The vessel, which has a regasification capacity of 450 million cubic feet per day, began operating in Egypt in October 2025 under a five-year charter worth $36 million annually, or $180 million over the full contract period.
On 29 July, a fire broke out aboard the Energos Winter and an LNG storage vessel at Damietta Port. The cabinet said preliminary investigations indicated that a drone had caused the incident, while no party had claimed responsibility. No deaths or injuries were reported. Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir said at the time that the drone struck a regasification pipe and an auxiliary tank on the FSRU.
The vessel was subsequently towed away from the port as emergency crews worked to contain the fire. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said repair work on the damaged vessel began immediately after the incident, while Egypt activated contingency measures and secured an alternative regasification vessel stationed in Jordan's Aqaba Port to help maintain energy supplies.
The incident temporarily took the Energos Winter out of service, removing around 17 percent of Egypt's regasification capacity. The vessel's absence came as Egypt was relying heavily on imported LNG to meet rising summer demand for natural gas, particularly from power plants. The Cabinet Media Center urged the public and media outlets not to circulate unverified information and to rely on official sources for updates.
The Cabinet Media Center's denial comes as Egypt continues to prioritize accuracy in foreign media reporting on the Damietta Port incident. On Wednesday, the media centre stated that it would continue to provide updates on the incident and other national issues, emphasizing the importance of verifying information through official sources.
Key points
- Egypt denies paying $50 million to repair the damaged Energos Winter gas vessel.
- The Energos Winter has a regasification capacity of 450 million cubic feet per day.
- The incident at Damietta Port temporarily took the Energos Winter out of service, removing around 17 percent of Egypt's regasification capacity.
