Al -Jazeera Net Correspondents
Oman – Stop Fitan field -One of the largest natural gas fields in Mediterranean Sea– On work, as a result of the military confrontation between Iran And Israel, concern in Jordan, which relies on it to cover a large percentage of its imports of natural gas.
While the government confirms that the preparations are existing to confront any emergency, experts warn that the continued stopping for a long time may expose the kingdom to an electricity and cooking crisis, amid the escalation of the operational cost and the increase in pressure on the energy system.
Informed government sources informed Al -Jazeera Net that the official orientation currently is not to address the issue of stopping the field in the media, to avoid anxiety, and despite that, the government talked about the movement of the relevant agencies internally to activate alternative plans to ensure the continued energy supply.
On Friday, the Israeli Ministry of Energy announced a temporary closure of two of the largest natural gas fields, namely the “Viathhan” field managed by the American company Chevron, and the “Carrich” field managed by the British company Energy.
An technical state of emergency
In his interview with Al -Jazeera Net, the economic researcher who specializes in energy affairs, Amer Al -Shobaki, believes that stopping the pumping of gas from the Lukan field calls for the declaration of a “technical emergency” in the energy sector, especially in light of what he described as the unconventional circumstance that requires exceptional operational readiness.
Although he reassured him about the stability of the network in the short term, Al -Shobaki warned that the cost of generation is a candidate to rise significantly, especially in night and summer periods, as renewable energy efficiency decreases and pressure on the electricity network increases.
He explained that the current alternatives, such as heavy fuel oil, diesel and liquefied gas, are more expensive than natural gas, and the operational bill may double if the interruption continues.
For his part, the energy expert, Dr. Zuhair Al -Sadiq, warned of the possibility that the continuation of the crisis will lead to the power outages and cooking gas in the Kingdom, stressing that “the scenario may be catastrophic if the inventory is bleed and the alternatives failed to meet the demand.”
Al -Sadiq considered, in his interview with Al -Jazeera Net, that what is happening today opens again the popular and professional debate about the danger of the Jordanian energy security of the Israeli occupation, which was constantly warned by experts and citizens, since the signing of the gas agreement.
He stressed that relying on an unstable source represents a strategic threat that must be reviewed.
Alternative
According to the annual report of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for the year 2023, natural gas is used to generate 61.1% of electricity in Jordan, compared to 26.28% of renewable energy sources (sun and wind), and 12.62% of heavy fuel oil.
The figures also show that the generation stations consume about 1498 million cubic feet per day of gas, while the complex capacity of renewable energy is about 2681 megawatts, which means that any gas supply disorder constitutes a direct threat to the stability of the national network, according to experts.
Al -Shobaki notes that Jordan It has technical tools to temporarily overcome the interruption, as power stations maintain a fuel stock that is sufficient to operate for a period of up to 14 days, and there is a floating ship in Aqaba that contains liquefied gas reserves enough for about 10 days.
Besides, renewable energy contributes to enhancing the stability of the network during the daylight hours, while the “Al -Athra” station based on oil rock continues to produce its full capacity.
But Al -Shobaki warns that continued stopping for a long time will raise the operational cost sharply, which will pressure the general budget, or pushing towards a review of the electricity tariff.
Regional concerns
In the regional context, Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly announced that his country is preparing for the possibility of gas supplies, and said that he was Egypt It has a plan to secure its petroleum and gas needs in light of the events in the region.
He added that they aim to “operate 3 ships this year to change from the beginning of next month,” and continued, “We are working to provide a fourth ship, and we also have contracts for gas shipments, in addition to stocks and reserves of diesel.”
Despite the elasticity of the Jordanian infrastructure, from renewable energy, oily rock and ready stations, the current crisis has returned – according to observers – highlighting the central question about repeated warnings from experts who had confirmed that relying on one source, specifically the Israeli occupation, is a strategic risk that shows its effects today, despite Jordan standing outside the parties to the current conflict.