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| Tarek El Molla interviewed by CNBC - Feb 2018 Egypt |
Thursday, 15 February 2018
New natgas regulator to issue first LNG import license before the end of Feb? The newly-established natural gas market regulator is expected to issue the first LNG import license to the private sector before the end of February, when its board meets for the first time, sources close to the matter tell Al Shorouk. While it remains unclear which company will make the first draw, we had heard last year that EGAS gave BB Energy, Fleet Energy, and Qalaa Holdings’ TAQA Arabia preliminary approval on natural gas import licenses, following the issuance of the Natural Gas Act, which reduces the state’s role to regulator and opens the market to the private sector. Four other unnamed companies are reportedly also seeking import licenses.
Fees for using state infrastructure also to be announced: The board, whose full lineup will be announced next week, will also discuss the fees private sector players will have to pay to use the state’s natural gas grid under the act, the sources also said. News of the meeting comes one day after Ismail Cabinet issued the executive regulations to the Natural Gas Act, officially bringing it into effect. Oil Minister Tarek El Molla, who will chair the board, had previously said that the state will fully exit the market by 2022.
