Updated May 2026
Updated May 2026. The Vasiliko LNG import terminal on Cyprus’ south coast is moving from construction handover into commercial operations through 2026, and an estimated 400+ permanent operational roles are opening across plant operations, marine pilotage, HSE, control-room engineering, maintenance and commercial gas trading. Operated by ETYFA (a subsidiary of state gas company DEFA) alongside the EPC contractor consortium during the ramp-up, it is the largest single-site energy hiring event in Cypriot history — and the only one likely to recur at this scale this decade.
Key Takeaways
- 400+ permanent operational roles are opening at Vasiliko LNG during 2026 (reported figure — verify against official source before applying), spanning the FSU, jetty, regas, control room and commercial functions.
- Gross salaries run from €32,000 for an entry maintenance technician to €140,000+ for the terminal manager, with marine pilots and senior process engineers in the €70,000–€95,000 band.
- Approximately 55–60% of the day-one headcount sits with the EPC contractor consortium on fixed-term operations contracts; the remainder are ETYFA-direct permanent seats (reported figure — verify).
- An oil & gas background is preferred but not mandatory — cruise, merchant marine, refinery and chemical-plant CVs are all being shortlisted in 2026.
- New-arrival hires on packages above €55,000 may qualify for the 50% income-tax exemption, materially lifting net take-home.
What jobs are available at the Vasiliko LNG terminal in Cyprus in 2026?
The site is built around a Floating Storage Unit (FSU) moored at a dedicated jetty, an offshore-style regasification skid, a high-pressure gas send-out line into the Vasiliko power complex, and a small but complete onshore operations campus. Each of those elements produces its own job family. The FSU itself needs a marine crew, deck officers and a permanent berth-side pilotage and mooring team. The regas plant needs process operators, control-room engineers, mechanical and instrumentation technicians, and rotating shift supervisors. The HSE function is unusually large for a Cypriot industrial site because the asset is classed under the EU Seveso III major-accident regime. Commercial roles — gas scheduling, nominations, shipping coordination and trading-desk support — sit in a small but well-paid team, partly in Nicosia and partly on site. The marine side draws heavily from the same talent pool that Cyprus’ shipping cluster already employs; see our shipping and maritime jobs in Cyprus guide for the adjacent labour market context.
2026 gross salary bands at Vasiliko LNG
The bands below are the working ranges Jobs Nicosia has compiled from recruiter conversations, EPC sub-contractor benchmarks, and comparable Mediterranean LNG-import terminal salaries (Krk, Revithoussa, Piombino). They are indicative — final offers depend on whether the seat is ETYFA-direct or contractor, and on the candidate’s documented hours-on-LNG.
| Role | Gross €/yr (2026) | Typical background |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance technician (mech / E&I) | €32,000–€44,000 | EVE / vocational diploma, refinery or shipyard |
| Control Room Operator | €48,000–€68,000 | DCS experience, refinery / power / LNG |
| Process Engineer | €55,000–€78,000 | ChemEng degree, 3–8 yrs gas / petrochem |
| HSE Engineer (Seveso-competent) | €52,000–€75,000 | NEBOSH / IOSH, major-accident regime exposure |
| FSU Marine Pilot | €72,000–€95,000 | Master Mariner CoC, gas-tanker endorsement |
| Shift Supervisor (Operations) | €68,000–€88,000 | 10+ yrs ops, prior shift-lead at LNG / refinery |
| Commercial / Gas Trading desk | €75,000–€115,000 + bonus | Gas scheduling / nominations, ETRM systems |
| Terminal Manager | €115,000–€145,000 + bonus | Prior LNG-import terminal command, 15+ yrs |
All numbers are gross annual base including the contractual 13th-month where applicable. Bonus on the commercial and terminal-manager seats is typically 15–25% of base. New tax residents on packages above €55,000 should read the 2026 guide to the 50% income-tax exemption before signing — for a senior process engineer the net swing is in the order of €10,000–€14,000 a year. Non-EU hires will additionally need the right immigration track; our Cyprus work permit guide covers the routes most relevant to oil & gas talent.
Who is being shortlisted — and from where
The pool is genuinely international by design. The EPC consortium is bringing in a tranche of experienced LNG operators from Spain, Greece, Italy and the Gulf for the commissioning phase, while ETYFA-direct hiring is heavily weighted toward Cypriot nationals and EU returners. The most successful Cypriot CVs Jobs Nicosia has seen shortlisted in early-2026 fall into four buckets: (1) refinery and petrochem alumni from the now-closed Larnaca refinery and from Greek refineries; (2) merchant-marine and gas-tanker officers ready to swap sea-going rotations for shore-based shifts; (3) ex-Cyprus Electricity Authority (EAC) control-room and mechanical staff with strong DCS literacy; and (4) HSE professionals from the construction, cement and chemicals sectors with documented major-accident or Seveso-equivalent exposure. The operator’s official site and the Ministry of Energy’s pages are the safest starting points — see the Cyprus Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry for sector announcements and tendering activity.
How to position your application
Three things make a measurable difference in shortlisting. First, quantify your hours on hazardous-gas systems — recruiters are screening for documented hours on cryogenic, LNG, ammonia or LPG, not generic “process” exposure. Second, demonstrate shift-rotation experience explicitly: 12-hour rotating shifts are the operating model and HR teams discount candidates whose CVs do not show prior tolerance for that pattern. Third, surface any IMO STCW V/1-2 advanced-LNG endorsement, NEBOSH Process Safety Management or Seveso-relevant qualifications high on the CV — these are the single fastest filters used by the contractor recruitment teams during the 2026 ramp.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an oil & gas background to apply for Vasiliko LNG jobs?
Preferred, but not mandatory. The operator and EPC consortium are explicitly shortlisting candidates from cruise ship engine rooms, merchant marine (especially gas tankers), the former Larnaca refinery community, the cement industry and EAC power-plant operations. What is non-negotiable is documented exposure to a continuous-process, shift-rotating environment with formal permit-to-work and HSE systems. A pure construction-site or one-off project background is the hardest to convert.
Are cruise-ship and merchant-marine experience transferable to Vasiliko LNG?
Yes, and this is one of the most active funnels in the 2026 hiring window. Marine engineers, ETOs and deck officers with gas-tanker or LNG-carrier endorsements convert cleanly into FSU marine pilot, mooring master, cargo-operations and control-room operator roles. The big lifestyle win is swapping 4-on/8-off sea rotations for a fixed-shore residential post in Cyprus.
What are the language requirements at Vasiliko LNG?
English is the working language of operations, control-room procedures, DCS prompts, EPC documentation and HSE permits, and it is sufficient on its own for the engineering, commercial and HSE roles. Greek is strongly preferred for ETYFA-direct administrative, regulatory-liaison and community-affairs seats, and useful but not required for shift supervisors who interact with local contractors.
Is accommodation or transport provided for shift workers at Vasiliko?
For the EPC contractor seats during commissioning the consortium is providing shuttle transport from Limassol and Larnaca on a 12-hour shift schedule and, for senior expatriate hires, a relocation lump sum plus four to eight weeks of temporary accommodation. ETYFA-direct hires receive transport allowances rather than provided housing. Most permanent staff settle in Limassol, Larnaca or the villages east of Mari within a 30–40 minute commute.
How does contractor pay compare with ETYFA-direct (FTE) for the same role?
Contractor seats typically pay 8–15% more in headline base and offer faster decision-making, but with 24- to 36-month fixed terms, no Cypriot pension build-up and weaker 13th-salary terms. ETYFA-direct seats trade base salary for tenure, defined-benefit-style pension contributions, full 13th salary and the option to consolidate civil-service rights. Over a five-year horizon the totals come out close; over ten years the ETYFA-direct package usually wins on net wealth.
Are there apprenticeships or training pathways into Vasiliko LNG?
Yes — the operator and the EPC consortium have signalled an apprentice and trainee-operator pathway via Cyprus’ vocational training authority and partner universities (reported figure — verify against official source before applying). The most likely entry points are mechanical and E&I technician apprenticeships, an LNG-control-room trainee scheme converting from EAC operators, and a graduate process-engineering rotation. Watch the operator’s careers page and the Ministry of Energy bulletins for cohort announcements.
Looking for live Vasiliko LNG and Cyprus energy roles? Browse current operations, marine, HSE and commercial openings on jobs.com.cy, our partner jobs board.
Related on Jobs Nicosia: Shipping and maritime jobs in Cyprus · Cyprus 50% tax exemption guide 2026 · Cyprus work permit guide.
