BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. It is anticipated that this winter, natural gas will be supplied to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan through Türkiye (Ighdir-Nakhchivan pipeline), Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Türkiye Alparslan Bayraktar said, Trend reports.
Bayraktar made this announcement during the ceremony for the signing of the Türkiye-Azerbaijan Natural Gas Cooperation Agreement held in Istanbul.
"I hope that this winter, natural gas will be delivered to Nakhchivan via Türkiye. We plan to put this pipeline into operation as soon as possible," said the minister.
Azerbaijan and Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding on Ighdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline on December 15, 2020. The project envisaged cooperation between Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and Türkiye’s BOTAS.
The Igdir-Nakhchivan pipeline will not only allow for the diversification of Nakhchivan's gas supply but also eliminate its dependence on a single source. The project is among the priority initiatives outlined in the "State Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for 2023-2027".
The pipeline stretches 97.5 kilometers from Igdir to the Sadarak district, including a 17.5-kilometer Azerbaijani section and an 80-kilometer Turkish section. The pipeline is capable of transporting 2 million cubic meters of gas per day and 730 million cubic meters annually. This will fully meet Nakhchivan's gas needs.
Furthermore, the pipeline's capacity can be more than doubled in the future.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the gas pipeline took place on September 25, 2023.
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