BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct.31
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
The European Commission adopted the fourth list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) for implementing cross-border energy infrastructure in the EU, Trend reports citing the European Commission.
Electricity and smart grids account for more than 70 percent of the projects, mirroring the increasing role of renewable electricity in the energy system and the need for network reinforcements enabling the integration of renewables and more cross-border trade. The number of gas projects decreased from 53 two years ago to 32, or 21 percent of all projects on the PCI list. This is in line with the role of gas when meeting the EU’s decarbonisation objectives. The EU gas grid has become more robust and if all ongoing PCIs are implemented, the EU should have a well-interconnected and shock-resilient gas grid by the early 2020’s.
The following projects, envisioning transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe have again been included in the new list: Interconnection Greece — Bulgaria (IGB), Cluster phased capacity increase on the (Bulgaria) — Romania — Hungary — (Austria) bidirectional transmission corridor (currently known as "ROHUAT/BRUA"), Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline” (TCP) and “South Caucasus Pipeline Future Expansion” (SCPFX)], Gas pipeline from Greece to Italy via Albania and the Adriatic Sea [currently known as “Trans-Adriatic Pipeline” (TAP)], including metering and regulating station and compressor station at Nea Messimvria, as well as the TAP Interconnection.
The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority projects for the EU and envisages the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.
The launching ceremony of the first stage of the SGC was held in Baku on May 29, 2018, while opening ceremony of TANAP was held on June 12, 2018 in Turkey’s Eskisehir city.
The gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field has already gone through the first segment of the SGC - from the Sangachal terminal to the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline.
Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) were connected on the Turkish-Greek border.
IGB is a gas pipeline, which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to TAP via which gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to the European markets.
The initial capacity of IGB will be 3 billion cubic meters of gas.
The interconnector between Romania and Bulgaria, as well as the BRUA project, will ensure the integration of natural gas sources from the Caspian and Mediterranean basins, the Middle East or Central Asia, with the markets in Central and Western Europe. Romanian government has approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Energy, Transgaz and the Southern Gas Corridor Consultative Council on the potential of cooperation in the use of gas transport infrastructure offered by the Romania-Bulgaria Interconnector and Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria pipeline (BRUA) in the forthcoming enlargement stages of the Southern Gas Corridor in the Balkans and Central Europe.
Trans-Caspian Pipeline envisages transportation of Turkmen gas to Europe through Azerbaijan.
Turkmenistan is studying the possibility of bringing its energy products to the European market. To this end, a 300-kilometer gas pipeline will have to be laid along the Caspian seabed to the shores of Azerbaijan.
Turkmenistan has declared its readiness to supply Europe with an annual volume of up to 40 billion cubic meters of gas.
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