BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. Azerbaijan plans to begin supplying gas to three new European buyers in October, bringing the total number of countries receiving Azerbaijani gas to 13, an informed source told Trend.
"Starting in October, Azerbaijani gas will be supplied to North Macedonia, Slovakia, and Austria," the source noted.
According to the source, gas is expected to be delivered to Northern Macedonia through neighboring Bulgaria (as there have been previous trial deliveries in this regard), entering through the Malkoclar/Strandzha gas distribution hub on the Turkish-Bulgarian border.
"The gas supplies to Slovakia and Austria are supposed to use the mechanism of swaps, under which the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) will provide certain gas volumes to a European company (or companies) operating in the Slovak and Austrian markets on liquid markets in Bulgaria and Italy. Meanwhile, SOCAR's partners will supply equivalent gas volumes from their portfolio in Slovakia and Austria on behalf of the company.
The source also said that a similar swap mechanism has been in place since September 1 for gas supplies from SOCAR to Croatia.
"Agreements were reached with Austria and Slovakia on gas supplies for one gas year, starting October 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2025, though we aren't disclosing the volumes," emphasized the source.
European Union (EU) Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson urged Slovakia, Austria, and Italy to prepare to halt imports of Russian pipeline gas from January 2025 as hopes of extending the transit agreement with Ukraine are melting away (the agreement on such transit expires on December 31, 2024).
"The three countries have had more than two years to choose more predictable alternative routes after Gazprom cut gas supplies to other EU countries in 2022,” Simson said during a discussion on the EU Energy Union.
To recall, on May 7, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told Azerbaijani media in Baku that Slovakia and Austria are largely dependent on Russian gas that flows through Ukraine to the Baumgarten gas hub (in Austria, close to the border with Slovakia), while the contract between Gazprom and Ukraine expires at the end of 2024.
Fico pointed out that Slovakia needs a whopping 4-5 bcm of gas per year.
In fact, about 80 percent of Austria's needs are still riding on the back of Russian gas, but as part of the effort to spread their eggs across different baskets, Austria has previously struck a deal with neighboring Germany and Italy to dip their toes into the pool of gas from their liquefied natural gas terminals and their gas hub exchanges.
This year, Azerbaijan is able to sell nearly 13 billion cubic meters of gas to customers in Europe, supplying it along the Southern Gas Corridor as well as through the Malkloclar/Strandzha junction of the Turkish Stream.
The total number of buyers of Azerbaijani gas in Europe will reach 11 countries. Azerbaijan has also been supplying gas to Georgia and Türkiye since 2007.
In 2023, gas supplies from Azerbaijan to the EU amounted to 11.8 billion cubic meters.