Azerbaijan’s pipeline share accounted for more than half of the country’s gas exports in the latest statistical report, significantly boosting the country’s export quantities.
Azerbaijan transported 32.9639 billion cubic meters of natural gas through its main pipelines in the first ten months of 2023, marking a 4% increase from the same period last year, according to the State Statistical Committee.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (South Caucasus Pipeline – SCPK) accounted for 55.2% of the total gas transported during this period, with shipments through the pipeline increasing by 6.6% year-on-year to 18.2098 billion cubic meters.
This surge in natural gas transportation comes as Azerbaijan seeks to expand its role as a key energy supplier to Europe, with the country’s proven natural gas reserves estimated to be around 1.4 trillion cubic meters, making it the second-largest natural gas producer in the Caspian Sea region.
In 2020, Azerbaijan inaugurated the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which delivers natural gas from Azerbaijan to Italy via Greece and Albania. The TAP is part of the Southern Gas Corridor, a major energy infrastructure project that aims to diversify Europe’s energy supplies and reduce its reliance on Russian gas.
Azerbaijan also plans to expand the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) capacity, transporting gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey. The expansion is expected to double the pipeline’s capacity to 32 billion cubic meters annually by 2026.
With these expansion projects underway, Azerbaijan is poised to play an increasingly important role in the European energy market.
The country’s rich natural gas reserves and strategic location make it a valuable partner for Europe as it seeks to secure its energy supplies and reduce its dependence on Russia.
Azerbaijan’s natural gas production is expected to reach 46.7 billion cubic meters in 2023, up from 45.8 billion cubic meters in 2022.
Source : Pipeline