BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 1. The EU sees steady growth in Azerbaijan's gas supplies, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said at a briefing, Trend reports.
"Since Azerbaijani gas began flowing to the EU at the end of 2020, there has been a steady increase, approximately 46 percent higher than the initial 2021 volumes. Last year, we received over 11 billion cubic meters of stable and secure gas supplies from Azerbaijan, and we are actively working to extend these numbers further," she said.
Simson pointed out that there is a collective ambition to increase gas supplies from Azerbaijan, which includes increasing supplies to 20 bcm by 2027. "For this, an upgrade of the existing gas infrastructure will be needed," she added.
At the same time, according to the EU commissioner, Azerbaijan's potential goes beyond natural gas.
"We are ready to expand our partnership to electricity markets. The Caspian Sea has enormous wind potential and renewable electricity coming from Azerbaijan will help Europe meet its energy goals in cutting CO2 emissions. So, this MoU signed today sends a clear message to EU businesses and investors who want to mobilize our technological capacity. This will be mutually beneficial," she noted.
Kadri Simson also added that as Azerbaijan will be the next host for COP29, the EU is ready to cooperate with Baku on its successful outcome.