A Hezbollah strike on Israel’s gas platforms will lead to power cuts in Jordan, Egypt, expert warns

If Hezbollah strikes Israel’s gas platforms Jordan will be forced to cut the electricity supply to its citizens to just six hours per day, an economic researcher has warned according to Jordan News.

Economic researcher specialising in energy affairs, Amer Al-Shobaki, said the destruction of Israeli natural gas platforms will lead to major power outages in both Jordan and Egypt as both countries depend heavily on gas imported from the occupation state.

In Jordan, he explained, Israeli gas is used to generate 98 per cent of the country’s electricity needs. Therefore, he added, any damage to Israeli infrastructure could lead the government to cut the electricity supply to just six hours per day.

“Although Jordan has limited alternatives such as using shale, effective solutions such as importing liquefied natural gas via the floating ship in Aqaba require up to two weeks to be secured,” Al-Shobaki explained.

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Egypt is in a better position, Al-Shobaki said, as it can compensate for the shortage of Israeli gas by increasing orders for liquefied natural gas. However, this will come at a high cost and will take weeks to be fully implemented.

An escalation in regional violence will increase global gas prices by between five and ten per cent depending on the duration of the interruption of supplies from the Middle East, he estimated. The impact may also extend to petrol prices, especially if the traffic of energy ships in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a third of the world’s gas supplies and 20 per cent of petrol passes through the waterway.

For Israel, an attack on its gas platforms would be devastating, Al-Shobaki said, adding that 75 per cent of its electricity is generated using this gas supply. Stressed that the impact of the destruction of gas platforms would be devastating as Israel depends on natural gas for more than 75 per cent of its electricity needs. As a result, the interruption of gas supplies will lead to a prolonged power outage, which will seriously affect daily life in Israel, including water transportation and desalination services and financial operations.