BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 16
By Amina Nazarli - Trend:
Trans Caspian Resources, a new US-based company, which is striving to transport Turkmen gas, expects to meet the needs for natural gas in the South Caucasus, not in the European Union, co-manager of Trans Caspian Resources Allan Mustard told Trend.
Founded in April, TCR hopes to facilitate the ownership and operation of the Trans Caspian Connector Natural Gas Pipeline and bring energy resources from Central Asia to markets in the Caucasus.
“This project is not part of the EU’s energy projects. The EU has listed the White Stream Transcaspian project as eligible for co-funding of a feasibility study, but that study was never completed and White Stream appears to be suspended. Our project is in no way connected to or affiliated with the White Stream project. We expect the Caspian Connector, our project, to address the need for natural gas in the South Caucasus, not in the European Union,” he said.
Mustard noted that the project will deliver Turkmen natural gas to a region of the world, the South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia), that needs it.
“A small amount may also be delivered to Turkey as well,” he added.
The project may put an end to gas waste, by capturing natural gas currently being flared or emitted as methane and put it to use, potentially replacing more carbon-intensive fuels such as coal and oil, particularly lignite.
In terms of new pipeline construction, the co-manager stated that TRC will require a relatively short new pipeline, while making full use of existing available gas pipeline capacity.
“The connector, which is going to be approximately 78 kilometers long, is projected to have a maximum capacity of 12 billion cubic meters per year,” Mustard said.
The implementation of the project is still on hold, until TCR receives appropriate responses and agreements with the stakeholders.
Turkmenistan, is the Caspian and Central Asian region's largest producer and exporter of natural gas, with reserves totaling approximately 20 trillion cubic meters. China is Turkmenistan's main gas partner, having purchased in total 40-42 billion cubic meters in 2021. Turkmen gas is next imported by Russian Gazprom, which halted supply in 2015 and resumed it four years later.