Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4
By Maksim Tsurkov – Trend:
The volume of gas transported along the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) may be increased at the expense of gas from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said in an interview with Trend.
He said that the SGC is a project that has great opportunities to satisfy the interests not only of the participants, but of any country that will join it or will want to join in the future.
“The SGC initiated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with the involvement of new exporters, transit countries and consumers, has the prospect of expansion in Eastern and Central Europe, including the Balkans,” he noted. “This year we are completing the projects of the Shah Deniz Stage 2, the South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion and the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), and this shows that Azerbaijan has fulfilled its obligations.”
The minister noted that the participation and statements of representatives of Turkmenistan and Romania at the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the SGC Advisory Council also confirm that interest in the project is gradually increasing.
“Another important event expected this year is related to the Gas Interconnector Greece -Bulgaria (IGB) pipeline, the groundbreaking ceremony of which is scheduled for June,” Shahbazov said.
The SGC, worth over $40 billion, is considered as one of the priority energy projects for the EU, which strives for diversification of gas sources. The project envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.
At an initial stage, the gas to be produced in the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.
As part of the Shah Deniz Stage 2, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of TANAP and Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
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