Baku, Azerbaijan, July 17
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Southern Gas corridor project, which envisages transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe, can support EU member states’ resilience to energy shocks until Europe is ready to decrease fossil fuels further, including gas, a European Commission spokesperson told Trend.
“The Southern Gas Corridor, aiming at bringing Caspian gas to the EU via Georgia and Turkey, is a key project for EU energy security, in line with the EU's diversification strategy of sources and routes,” said the spokesperson.
The European Commission representative noted that the Energy Union Framework Strategy establishes the ambitious objective to move away from fossil fuels dependence.
“The European Union is making considerable progress in this field, especially with regard to 2020 energy and climate targets. For the post-2020 period, following the rapid ratification and entry into force of the Paris Agreement, the Commission adopted the Clean Energy Package, which sets the regulatory framework for long term energy and climate objectives, thus pushing further the transition to a cleaner economy,” recalled the spokesperson.
The EU Commission representative said that within the long-term transition to a low carbon economy, gas is still considered to play a significant role as complementary fuel.
“Being a relatively low-carbon fossil fuel and providing flexible power generation sources, gas can be used to complement supplies of renewables. Still, gas demand is projected to decline over the coming decades, notably influenced by the 2030 climate and energy objectives,” said the spokesperson. “However, as domestic gas resources are also projected to decline, net gas imports would remain broadly stable until 2040. Accordingly, security of energy supply implies a commitment of the EU in diversification projects, such as the Southern Gas corridor, which can support member states' resilience to energy shocks until Europe is ready to decrease fossil fuels further, including gas.”
In this vein, all the components of the Southern Gas Corridor linking gas resources in the Caspian region and the EU (including the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) have been identified as Projects of Common Interest (PCIs), said the EU Commission representative.
The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian 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.
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