BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 29. The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) has forecast that Caspian gas will account for three percent of the EU's natural gas needs in the upcoming winter period, Trend reports via ENTSOG.
The EU expects Caspian gas to average over 44 million cubic meters per day (464 GWh) during the upcoming winter period, compared to 38.5 million cubic meters (404 GWh) during the summer season, based on projected average daily figures. Europe's increased use of renewable energy sources is the reason for the lower summer demand.
According to ENTSOG forecasts for six gas sources (including Russia), Caspian gas will slightly lag behind Russian gas in terms of volume, but will be nearly 2.5 times greater than the gas volumes supplied to Europe from Libya.
Norway is the largest supplier of pipeline gas, accounting for eight times the volume of Caspian gas and five times the volume of Russian gas via Ukraine.
“We expect gas storage in the EU to be approximately 90 percent full by the winter season, in line with regulatory requirements,” ENTSOG's forecasts noted.
The report also emphasizes how the EU's energy security has improved since 2023 with the commissioning of a sizable number of new gas infrastructure facilities.
New facilities include floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Italy, Spain, Germany, and France, the Kalotina interconnector pipeline between Bulgaria and Serbia, and the modernized Strandja-Malkoclar hub for gas flows from Türkiye to Bulgaria, including Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea.
The EU has been receiving Caspian gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field since December 2020.