BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Deliveries of Azerbaijani natural gas to private and industrial consumers in North Macedonia began on December 1, 2025, marking a crucial milestone in strengthening Azerbaijan's position in the European energy market. Thanks to productive cooperation between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), M-Gaz and CNG Systems, a pilot virtual gasification project, similar to a project successfully operating in Bulgaria since 2024, has been implemented. The new initiative not only expands the geography of Azerbaijani gas exports, but also contributes to the diversification of energy sources for countries in the region and strengthening their energy security.
The project in North Macedonia is implemented with deliveries of compressed natural gas (CNG) to industrial and private consumers not connected to a gas pipeline or distribution network. SOCAR, through M-Gaz, provides the required volumes of natural gas to CNG Systems, which then supplies industrial and private customers in Strumica where the relevant gas distribution network has been built.
Within the project, Azerbaijani natural gas now provides heating and hot water to six kindergartens, eight schools, one hospital, several municipal administrative buildings in Strumica, more than 400 households, and several industrial consumers.
Azerbaijan's expansion in the European market continues with other initiatives. On December 10, SOCAR and the Hungarian company MVM ONEnergy signed an agreement to supply 800 million cubic meters of natural gas to Hungary, which will take effect on January 1, 2026. SOCAR also began supplying gas to the German company SEFE under a new 10-year contract, with the annual volume gradually increasing to 15 terawatt-hours (TWh).
As President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivering press statements with President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini, in Bratislava on December 8, noted, Azerbaijan's rich gas fields have enabled it to export natural gas to many countries of the world today.
"The number of countries that purchase Azerbaijani gas has already reached 14. We hold first place as an exporter of gas through pipelines. As new gas fields are developed, we will obtain additional resources, and it will naturally become possible to supply Azerbaijani gas to both Slovakia and its neighboring countries in even larger volumes.
Currently, our total gas exports amount to 25 billion cubic meters, half of which is supplied to European countries. Today, eight European Union member states help ensure their energy security by purchasing Azerbaijani gas," the head of state said.
A key element of the European supply diversification strategy is the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC). As noted by a representative of the European Commission, TAP has provided a reliable strategic route for delivering Azerbaijani gas over the past five years, reducing the EU's dependence on traditional routes exposed to political and economic risks. Since the pipeline's launch at the end of 2020, around 52.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas have been transported through it by November 2025. Long-term plans foresee an increase in TAP's capacity by 1.2 billion cubic meters per year starting in 2026, with 1.04 billion cubic meters allocated to Italy and 0.16 billion cubic meters to Albania.
In the long term, maintaining and expanding Azerbaijan's gas export volumes will be supported by new upstream projects, including the development of the Absheron field, the exploitation of 'deep' gas at Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, and the Umid-Babek field. All of these initiatives lay the foundation for a sustainable increase in gas supplies to European countries and further strengthen Azerbaijan's role as a reliable and strategically important supplier.
The start of Azerbaijani gas deliveries to North Macedonia is a clear example of the successful expansion of the country's export geography and the strengthening of Europe's energy security. Azerbaijan continues to diversify its routes and partners, ensuring stable supplies to key EU countries and demonstrating the strategic reliability of its resources. The implementation of such projects confirms Azerbaijan's leadership in the European energy market and creates the preconditions for further growth in the country's export potential.