Azerbaijan's natural gas exports to Europe surge in 2024
Ulviyya Shahin
Read moreAzerbaijan, a significant player in the global energy market, has witnessed a remarkable surge in its natural gas exports to Europe during the period from January to May of 2024.
Azernews reports, citing operational data from the Ministry of Energy that during the period from January to May of 2024, Azerbaijan exported 5.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe. This marks an increase of 0.5 billion cubic meters or 10.4% compared to the corresponding period in 2023.
In total, gas sales from Azerbaijan to foreign countries over the past five months amounted to 10.6 billion cubic meters, representing a 3.4% increase compared to the same period last year.
Of this amount, 4.1 billion cubic meters of gas were sold to Turkey and 1.2 billion cubic meters to Georgia during January-May of this year. Gas exports to Turkey decreased by 0.2 billion cubic meters or 4.6%, while the volume of gas transported to Georgia remained unchanged compared to last year's figures.
Notably, approximately 2.3 billion cubic meters of gas were transported to Turkey through the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) during this reporting period, marking a decrease of 0.1 billion cubic meters or 4.2% compared to the previous year.
The Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP), the European segment of the Southern Gas Corridor, which facilitates the transportation of Azerbaijani gas to southern Europe, now boasts a transmission capacity of 12 billion cubic meters per year. TAP's construction was completed in October 2020, with a total length of 878 kilometers traversing northern Greece, Albania, the Adriatic Sea, and Italy. Azerbaijani gas began flowing to consumers in Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria through TAP on December 31, 2020.
Natural gas extracted from Azerbaijan's Shahdeniz field is primarily transported to Turkey. Gas volumes reach the Turkish market via the South Caucasus Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum) and TANAP. Commercial gas transportation to Turkey through TANAP commenced on June 30, 2018, following the first gas delivery via the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline in 2007.
Azerbaijan's robust performance in natural gas exports to Europe in 2024 highlights the country's pivotal role in meeting the energy needs of European markets. By leveraging its strategic geographical position and investing in infrastructure development, Azerbaijan is poised to sustain its upward trajectory in gas exports, further cementing its status as a key player in the global energy arena.
---
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz