Plans for Jordan to begin supplying Lebanon with imported natural gas, which will be transported through Syria, were approved by Jordan’s cabinet on Sunday, Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan announced.
Under the newly approved arrangement, Jordan will import liquefied natural gas and regasify it using existing infrastructure at the Aqaba Port, before transporting the product to Lebanon through Syria.
Jordan, Syria and Lebanon signed an agreement in May to cooperate on natural gas supplies following a trilateral meeting in Amman, though Jordan has been supplying Syria with energy through the same mechanism since the beginning of the year through the Arab Gas Pipeline.
Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad Bashir said Syria expects its natural gas production to reach 15 million cubic meters per day by the end of 2026, up from around 7 million cubic meters.
The approved plan is part of efforts to support Lebanon with electricity generation. While Lebanon has seven power plants, only the Deir Ammar and Zahrani plants, which can run on both fuel oil and gas, are currently operational, L’Orient Today reported last month. Their combined capacity stands at around 900 MW, but the increasing cost of fuel has meant that they are producing around 500 MW.
Lebanon suffers frequent power outages, requiring rationing
Lebanon has suffered frequent power outages, at some points pausing essential work at water pump stations and in state institutions. In 2024, a nationwide power outage, leading to water rationing, came after Beirut failed to make an overdue payment to Iraq for fossil fuels. Some regional countries have stepped up, supporting Lebanon with intermittent supplies, though energy remains a serious issue for Beirut.
Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Joseph Saddi described the cooperation as “highly important” and said it was key to making Lebanon’s energy infrastructure more sustainable.
Last week, Saddi also met with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and discussed potential energy collaborations between Lebanon and Turkey, the Turkish minister confirmed in a statement on social media.
“We are ready to share Türkiye’s experience, expertise, and capabilities in the energy sector with Lebanon and to further strengthen energy cooperation between our countries through projects we will develop on the basis of mutual benefit,” he said.