BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.1. At the height of the energy crisis last year, the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) proved to be a crucial source of piped gas supply for us, Kadri Simson, the EU Commissioner for Energy, said in an exclusive interview with Trend Feb.1.
“Gas volumes delivered to the EU via the SGC in 2022 increased from around 8 billion cubic meters to 11.4, therefore by more than 40 percent compared with 2021. Azerbaijan has proved to be a reliable energy partner for the European Union over the past years. Therefore, I am glad to note that the expansion of the SGC has strong political support from the EU and its Member States. As Commission, we are trying to facilitate the process. We are in regular contact with all concerned stakeholders: Governments of transit and destination countries, international financial institutions, companies,” she said.
Simson noted that of course, for the project to move forward we also hope for a successful market test for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline section of the SGC.
“In parallel, the Commission is also working in close cooperation with the Member States to make the joint purchasing of gas a reality. Demand aggregation will be the first step in this process and we trust this will help ensure optimal demand conditions to our reliable supplying countries,” she added.
Azerbaijan’s gas exports to Europe began on December 31, 2020 with the commissioning of the Southern Gas Corridor comprising of the South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion, the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
Azerbaijan's export of natural gas to European Union market will stand at 11.6 billion cubic meters as of 2023. Total export of natural gas from Azerbaijan this year will be almost 24 billion cubic meters.
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