Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi announced the completion of rehabilitation work on the Lebanese section of the gas pipeline running between Tripoli and the Syrian border.

In an interview with Asharq Bloomberg on the sidelines of the ADIPEC exhibition and conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday, November 2, Saddi said the work had been completed with funding from the Lebanese government and a Qatari grant that covered a substantial portion of the repairs.

The work is part of Lebanon’s efforts to resume natural gas imports through Syrian territory to fuel power plants, after similar projects stalled in previous years, according to the outlet.

Saddi also revealed talks with Iraq about involving Lebanon in a regional oil pipeline project that includes reviving the historic route through Syria to Tripoli.

He added that a meeting between Lebanese officials and the Iraqi prime minister about two months earlier had resulted in a preliminary understanding on Lebanon’s participation in the project, particularly the pipeline that historically ran to Tripoli.

A consortium including Chevron and other companies is conducting the necessary studies, he said. The timetable and subsequent steps will depend on the findings, with no date set for implementation to begin.

Gas Exchange Agreement Between Syria, Lebanon and Jordan

Jordanian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Saleh al-Kharabsheh announced in May that an agreement had been reached on cooperation in gas exchanges between Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Mohammed al-Bashir, and Lebanon’s Joe Saddi, Kharabsheh said technical preparations were being finalized, contracts concluded and studies conducted to repair gas transmission networks.

Al-Bashir said progress was being made on projects to transport gas to Lebanon through Syria, helping increase electricity generation and improve Lebanon’s energy supplies. He noted that energy cooperation with Jordan had begun on the first day after the fall of the Assad regime.

Kharabsheh said the meetings addressed ways to develop gas exchange projects and use existing infrastructure, alongside discussions on strengthening electricity interconnections.

He added that Jordan’s role in the agreement involves using its infrastructure to import liquefied natural gas (LNG), convert it back into gas and then pump it into Syria through the Arab Gas Pipeline.

Saddi said the importance of electricity interconnection and natural gas projects lay in securing reliable energy sources at a lower cost.

Qatari Plan to Support Lebanon’s Electricity Sector

The Qatari government plans to build two power plants in Lebanon over the next three years and sign a 20-year LNG supply agreement under a proposal to revive Lebanon’s struggling electricity sector.

Reuters reported on October 19 that the plan includes a 20-year LNG supply agreement between QatarEnergy and the Lebanese government, using a floating storage and regasification unit with a capacity of 3.5 million cubic meters per day, alongside the Arab Gas Pipeline through Syria, with a capacity of 4.5 million cubic meters per day.

The proposal also includes plans for 800 megawatts of solar power and 440 megawatts of wind power, alongside battery storage and electricity imports from Syria, initially at a capacity of 300 megawatts through two separate routes.