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Tunisia to Receive 450 Million Euros in European Loans, Grants

Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
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Tunisia to Receive 450 Million Euros in European Loans, Grants

Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

The European Investment Bank on Tuesday announced grants and loans worth 450 million euros ($480 million) for crisis-hit Tunisia to support small and medium-sized enterprises and infrastructure projects.

The EIB, the European Union's investment arm, said it was providing "new financial support" to Tunisia, targeting "high-impact projects for the population and the country's economic and social development".

The financing will be formalized during the Tunisia Investment Forum to be held on Wednesday and Thursday in Tunis, the bank said in a statement.

The forum will be attended by the EIB's new vice-president in charge of financing in the Maghreb region, Ioannis Tsakiris, Reuters reported.

The funding "will play a crucial role in the creation of jobs, stimulating innovation and promoting balanced development to benefit all Tunisians", Tsakiris said in the statement.

The financing includes a line of credit worth 170 million euros for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, "which make up 90 percent of the country's businesses and employ 60 percent of the workforce", according to the bank.

It will also provide 210 million euros to develop the "strategic" route between Tunisia's second city of Sfax on its eastern coast and the remote, underserved Kasserine area in the west.

A loan of 45 million euros will be granted to finance the ELMED electricity linkage project between Tunisia and Italy.

Tunisia has faced mounting financial woes, with debt levels at 80 percent of its GDP and unemployment and poverty on the rise.

The crisis has been compounded by the power grab staged by President Kais Saied since July 2021.

Negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a $2 billion loan have stalled since then, with Saied rejecting reforms demanded by the body.

The crisis has driven thousands of Tunisians to attempt perilous Mediterranean boat crossings in the hope of finding better lives in Europe.

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Aramco, Sempra Announce Deal for Royalties of Equity and Purchase of LNG from Port Arthur

Saudi Aramco and Sempra announced that their respective subsidiaries have executed a non-binding heads of agreement (HoA) for a 20-year sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) offtake of 5.0 million tons per annum (Mtpa) from the Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 expansion project. (SPA)
Saudi Aramco and Sempra announced that their respective subsidiaries have executed a non-binding heads of agreement (HoA) for a 20-year sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) offtake of 5.0 million tons per annum (Mtpa) from the Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 expansion project. (SPA)
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Aramco, Sempra Announce Deal for Royalties of Equity and Purchase of LNG from Port Arthur

Saudi Aramco and Sempra announced that their respective subsidiaries have executed a non-binding heads of agreement (HoA) for a 20-year sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) offtake of 5.0 million tons per annum (Mtpa) from the Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 expansion project. (SPA)
Saudi Aramco and Sempra announced that their respective subsidiaries have executed a non-binding heads of agreement (HoA) for a 20-year sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) offtake of 5.0 million tons per annum (Mtpa) from the Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 expansion project. (SPA)

Saudi Aramco, one of the world's leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, and Sempra, one of North America's leading energy infrastructure companies, announced on Wednesday that their respective subsidiaries have executed a non-binding heads of agreement (HoA) for a 20-year sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) offtake of 5.0 million tons per annum (Mtpa) from the Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 expansion project.

The HoA further contemplates Aramco's 25% participation in the project-level equity of Phase 2.

The parties expect to execute a binding LNG SPA and definitive equity agreements with terms substantially equivalent to those in the HoA, with the SPA and equity agreements subject to several conditions.

“We are excited to take this next step into the LNG sector,” said Aramco upstream president Nasir Al-Naimi. “As a potential strategic partner in the Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 project, Aramco is well-placed to grow its gas portfolio with the aim of meeting the world's growing need for lower-carbon sources of energy. This agreement is a major step in Aramco's strategy to become a leading global LNG player.”

Sempra chairman and chief executive Jeffrey Martin said: "The planned expansion of Port Arthur LNG would help facilitate the broad distribution of US natural gas across global energy markets. By expanding the Port Arthur LNG facility's global reach, we can improve energy security while providing a lower-carbon alternative to coal for electricity production."

Port Arthur LNG is a natural gas liquefaction and export terminal in southeast Texas with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. The Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 project is currently under construction and consists of trains 1 and 2, as well as two LNG storage tanks and associated facilities.

The Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 project is a competitively positioned expansion of the site to include the addition of up to two trains capable of producing up to 13 million tons yearly.

At the heart of Sempra Infrastructure's flagship Port Arthur Energy Hub, Port Arthur LNG has the potential to expand to a total of eight trains, which would position it as one of the world's most significant LNG export facilities. The facility is expected to play an important role in enhancing global energy security and resilience.

Moreover, Sempra Infrastructure is actively advancing infrastructure projects within the Port Arthur Energy Hub, addressing the rising demand for lower-carbon fuels and reducing carbon intensity. This includes the proposed Titan Carbon Sequestration project.