Cyprus Prepares First Eastern Mediterranean Gas Deliveries to Europe by 2028

European energy markets are set to receive natural gas from offshore fields in the Eastern Mediterranean by early 2028, marking a pivotal milestone in the European Union’s ongoing drive to diversify its energy supplies away from Russian fossil fuels and navigate geopolitical instability in the Middle East.

According to Cypriot Energy Minister Michael Damianos, natural gas extracted from the undersea Cronos field, located off the southern coast of Cyprus, will begin flowing to European markets by March 2028. The development decision—recently finalized by energy majors TotalEnergies of France and Eni of Italy—signals the first time offshore natural gas deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean will directly supply European consumers on a commercial scale.

A Milestone Development for European Energy Security

Since the escalation of full-scale war in Ukraine and subsequent disruptions to pipeline routes, European nations have prioritized secure, flexible, and proximate alternative natural gas supplies. While liquified natural gas (LNG) imports from the United States, Qatar, and West Africa helped stabilize European reserves in recent years, local production within the EU block remains highly valued.

Although Cyprus itself possesses a modest economic profile compared to major global petrostates, transitioning from a potential energy hub to an active producer represents a crucial step for both the island nation and the wider region.

"It’s important for Europe at this time because of the war in Ukraine, because of this situation in the Middle East, that Cyprus is going to be an alternative source of gas," stated Energy Minister Michael Damianos in an interview with The Associated Press. "Our income as a country is not going to be huge, so its importance is not the money—its importance is the commencement of being a producer and having first gas."

The Egyptian Gateway: Optimizing Infrastructure and Cost

Developing offshore gas fields thousands of meters beneath the Mediterranean sea floor is a capital-intensive endeavor. To make the Cronos field project commercially viable, energy companies opted for a pragmatic subsea routing strategy rather than building brand-new, multi-billion-dollar liquefaction plants or ultra-deep long-distance seabed pipelines directly to continental Europe.

Work on a 105-kilometer (65-mile) subsea pipeline connecting the Cronos deposit to existing offshore infrastructure at Egypt’s giant Zohr gas field will begin in late 2026, taking up to 18 months to complete.

Gas from Cronos will flow through Zohr’s existing connection to the Damietta LNG processing facility on Egypt’s northern Mediterranean shore.

At Damietta, the gas will be chilled into LNG and loaded onto tankers for shipment directly to European LNG regasification terminals.

This infrastructure-sharing approach cuts project development costs in half—down to approximately $2 billion (€1.73 billion)—making it significantly faster and cheaper to execute than standalone alternatives.

Under the agreement, virtually all of Cronos’s estimated reserve of over 3 trillion cubic feet (tcf) is earmarked for European consumers. However, a specific clause permits roughly 20% of the volume to be diverted to Egypt if needed to help satisfy its pressing domestic energy demand.

Map of Offshore Discoveries in Cyprus's EEZ

Cronos is only one of six gas deposits discovered inside Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) over the past decade and a half. Major global energy players—including Chevron, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Eni, and QatarEnergy—continue active exploration and development plans across various blocks.

• Cronos Field

• Main Operators: TotalEnergies & Eni

• Estimated Reserves: >3.0 trillion cubic feet (tcf)

• Target Flow Timeline: March 2028

• Processing Route: Subsea pipeline to Egypt (Zohr / Damietta LNG)

• Aphrodite Field

• Main Operators: Chevron-led consortium

• Estimated Reserves: \~5.6 trillion cubic feet (tcf)

• Target Flow Timeline: Commercial decision in 2027

• Processing Route: Pipeline to Egypt for domestic consumption

• Glaucus & Pegasus Fields

• Main Operators: ExxonMobil & QatarEnergy

• Estimated Reserves: \~6.9 trillion cubic feet (tcf) combined

• Target Flow Timeline: Expected flow by 2033

• Processing Route: Under evaluation (possible local or regional liquefaction)

In addition to Glaucus and Pegasus, ExxonMobil is expanding its seismic exploration activities across adjacent Cypriot offshore blocks, with additional exploration licenses anticipated soon.

Resolving Regional Geopolitics and Arbitrations

Unlocking Mediterranean energy reserves requires navigating complex legal and diplomatic landscapes.

The Aphrodite field, discovered 15 years ago, straddles the maritime border between Cyprus and Israel. Arbitrators are expected to issue a formal ruling defining the exact percentage of reserves belonging to Israel. Once resolved, a pipeline will connect Aphrodite directly to Egyptian power infrastructure to bolster Cairo's domestic grid.

Beyond natural gas, Cyprus is advancing the Great Sea Interconnector—a subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable intended to link the power grids of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel.