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CAIRO, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Egypt will launch a tender for asecond liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in the comingweeks, which could help address the country's ongoing energycrisis, a source at the state gas board said on Tuesday.
High consumption, along with foreign firms' reluctance toinvest in the sector until the government pays billions ofdollars it owes, have turned the country from a net energyexporter into a net importer over the last few years.
Egypt can export LNG, which is natural gas chilled to minus162 degrees Celsius into a liquid state, but it cannot import itwithout installing regasification and storage terminals.
The country finalised a long-delayed deal last month withNorway's Hoegh LNG for a floating storage andregasification unit that will allow it to begin LNGimports.
The oil ministry has announced plans to import six LNGcargoes from Algeria between April and September nextyear.
Plagued by a series of delays over the last two years, thefirst terminal is meant to begin operating by the end of March.
Egypt has been struggling with soaring energy bills causedby subsidies it provides on fuel for its population of 86million.
It has begun to repay foreign energy firms in a bid to courtfresh investment, but still owes about $4.9 billion to companiesincluding BP, BG, Eni and Dana Gas. (Reporting by Abdel Rahman Adel; writing by Shadi Bushra;editing by Lin Noueihed and Jason Neely)
