BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov.26
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Diversified sources of gas and infrastructure are healthy for the overall performance of the gas market, Eurogas, an association representing the European gas wholesale, retail and distribution sectors, told Trend.
“Diversification of sources also brings additional competition to the market, which is always in consumers’ interest. Gas infrastructure will also carry renewable and decarbonised gas, which will make the difference to ensure that Europe achieves its ambition of carbon neutrality in 2050.
Fostering international cooperation to tackle climate change can bring new dynamics to the EU’s relations with its energy partners. For example, the EU could also encourage its energy suppliers, including from the Middle East, to convert their natural gas into low carbon hydrogen, as well as to make renewable hydrogen from solar and wind power. The Southern Gas Corridor could carry these new sources of energy in the future,” said Eurogas.
Four and a half years after the inauguration of construction works in Thessaloniki, Southern Gas Corridor’s European leg, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), an 878-km gas transportation system crossing Greece, Albania, the Adriatic Sea and Italy, began commercial operations.
Gas supplies via the Southern Gas Corridor will begin in coming months, Ibrahim Ahmadov, deputy head of the Public Relations and Event Management Department at Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR, told Trend.
“After the completion of construction, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) was connected to the network of Italian Snam company. Thereby, the pipeline running from Azerbaijan to Europe has been connected to the European network and is fully ready for gas supplies. It means that the Southern Gas Corridor has been completed. Direct gas transportation from the Caspian basin to Europe via this system will start in coming months,” he said.
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