Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Thursday that Egypt's energy supply has not been disrupted following the drone attack on a regasification vessel at Damietta Port, as the government swiftly activated backup plans to replace the affected unit.
Speaking at a press conference after the Cabinet's weekly meeting, Madbouly said the government immediately launched a coordinated crisis response after receiving notification from the Minister of Petroleum, describing the operation as "a first-class crisis management exercise" involving all relevant state institutions.
He said the fire, which broke out after the vessel was struck by a drone, took around 12 hours to extinguish. Authorities confirmed the cause of the incident only after firefighters gained access to the vessel and recovered drone debris at around 2:00 a.m.
Madbouly noted that the stricken regasification vessel was towed 3 kilometers away from the port to eliminate the risk of an explosion, while a nearby floating storage vessel remained completely unharmed.
Egypt currently operates four floating regasification units (FSRUs) to secure natural gas supplies, including three at Ain Sokhna and one at Damietta, he said. Each regasification vessel operates alongside a storage vessel that supplies liquefied natural gas for conversion and injection into the national gas grid.
To ensure uninterrupted energy supplies, the government immediately activated an alternative regasification vessel contracted with Jordan and stationed at Aqaba Port, with coordination taking place directly between Egyptian and Jordanian energy authorities.
"The energy system has not been affected and continues to operate efficiently," Madbouly said, adding that repair work on the damaged vessel has already begun to determine the timeframe for returning it to service.
The prime minister said the government's immediate priority was containing the fire and preventing a larger disaster that could have threatened Damietta Port, nearby vessels, and critical infrastructure, explaining why authorities did not immediately disclose the details of the incident.
Madbouly added that no party has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, stressing that security agencies are continuing their investigations and that the government "will not rely on speculation" regarding the source of the incident.
He also praised the emergency response teams, saying personnel from the Ministries of Petroleum and Transport, the Armed Forces, the Interior Ministry, and other agencies worked continuously for more than 14 hours to contain the crisis. He warned that any delay in responding could have resulted in a major catastrophe affecting the port and surrounding strategic facilities.
