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Georgia energy minister: AGRI to diversify gas supplies to EU

Oil&Gas Materials 13 September 2010 17:27 (UTC +04:00)
The Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) liquefied gas transportation project will be the first initiative that actually diversifies EU natural gas supplies, Georgian Energy Minister Alexander Khetaguri told journalists today in Baku.

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept.13 / Trend, E. Ismailov /

The Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) liquefied gas transportation project will be the first initiative that actually diversifies EU natural gas supplies, Georgian Energy Minister Alexander Khetaguri told journalists today in Baku.

"In the future, this project will expand, and it will be the 'first sign' of gas supply diversification for the EU," he said.

Khetaguri added that Hungary also hopes to join the project. As a result, two EU countries have now signed on to purchase gas under the project.

The leaders of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania are expected to meet in Baku tomorrow to sign the Baku Declaration on the AGRI project.

Georgia, Azerbaijan and Romania signed an agreement on the establishment of a joint venture in a project to transport Azerbaijani gas to Europe on May 12.

A memorandum of understanding on liquefied gas cooperation and transportation under the project was signed in Bucharest on April 13.

The project to supply Azerbaijani liquefied natural gas to Romania envisages the construction of two terminals for liquefied natural gas - one in Georgia and the other in Romania. According to preliminary data, the project will cost 4.6 billion euro.

The project envisages transporting Azerbaijani gas via pipelines to the Black Sea coast of Georgia, where the gas will be liquefied at a special terminal, after which the gas will be delivered to the terminal in the Romanian port of Constanta by tankers. Later the liquefied gas will be converted into natural gas and sent to cover the needs of Romania and other European countries using the gas infrastructure available in the country.

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