Details added (first version posted on 11:45)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7
By Ilkin Shafiyev – Trend:
Countries of Central and Western Europe may join the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project in the future, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said at the Azerbaijan Competitiveness Forum Sept. 7.
He said the strategic importance of the project isn’t limited only to Azerbaijan and the participating countries.
“The share of natural gas in the global energy balance is increasing,” he noted. “In this context, the work carried out as part of the SGC project plays a special role. This project will make it possible to link the gas infrastructure of the Caspian region with that of Europe and change the gas map of the whole Europe. Azerbaijan’s role in diversification of sources and routes of energy supply will increase even more.”
“By attracting new suppliers, transit countries and consumers, the SGC project has prospects for expansion to Central and Western Europe,” he added. “This project gave the green light to new gas condensate projects in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, the commissioning of which is expected in the coming years.”
The SGC project brings together seven countries. A ceremony to launch the first stage of the Southern Gas Corridor project was held in Baku on May 29.
The gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field has already gone through the first segment of the Southern Gas Corridor - from the Sangachal terminal to the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline.
The Southern Gas Corridor, which costs more than $40 billion, is one of the priority projects for the EU and provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.
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