Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 25
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič is optimistic to see Caspian gas in Europe well before 2020.
With regard to the development of the Southern Gas Corridor Šefčovič said in an interview with EurActiv that each and every country that passes through, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Albania and Italy has very similar challenges, routing, i.e expropriation of land or regulatory and environmental issues.
"Therefore, we organized an advisory council to address the problems when they arise," he said.
The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian Sea region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.
At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.
As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline.