BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 30. Serbia has been regularly receiving Azerbaijani gas since January 2024, according to the contract signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Srbijagas, the state-owned natural gas provider in Serbia, in November 2023, an informed source exclusively told Trend.
“The supply volumes until April 2024 will be about 100 million cubic meters of gas. Azerbaijani gas is regularly taken from the Türkiye-Bulgaria-Serbia system. Volumes for the second quarter will be clarified later,” the source noted.
Back on November 15, 2023, SOCAR and Srbijagas signed a contract for the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Serbia in the presence of the Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov, and the Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia Dubravka Đedović Handanović in Baku.
According to this agreement, Serbia can receive up to 400 million cubic meters of gas (peak annual volumes) from Azerbaijan in 2024 through Bulgaria via the new Interconnector Bulgaria-Serbia (ISB).
"Under the contract with SOCAR, such potential peak annual volumes for Serbia are envisaged for 2024-2026. From 2027, the annual volume can reach one billion cubic meters," emphasized the source.
Serbia also expects assistance from SOCAR in organizing supplies of liquefied natural gas from third countries and, eventually, participation in SOCAR's gas trading operations and the construction of a gas power plant in Serbia.
The supply of Azerbaijani gas to Serbia will contribute to expanding the geography of the Southern Gas Corridor.
From 2024, the number of Azerbaijan's gas buyers will increase to nine.