Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

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Growing populations, expanding economies and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence are driving a significant increase in global energy demand, reinforcing the critical role of natural gas in the energy transition, AzerNEWS reports, citing Tolga Demir, Azerbaijan Country Manager for XRG.

Speaking during a panel discussion at Baku Energy Week, Demir said the world is facing an unprecedented need for electricity as digitalization and AI technologies continue to accelerate power consumption.

"There is a growing need for more electrons. And a significant portion of those electrons will come from natural gas," he noted.

Demir emphasized that strong and trusted partnerships remain the foundation of successful energy development.

"We are forming a regionally diversified portfolio covering four continents in the international gas direction. The Caspian basin is one of the strategic hubs for us. Our first project in the energy sector of Azerbaijan is the Absheron project, implemented jointly with SOCAR and TotalEnergies. Azerbaijan was the first place where our international gas business started operating," he said.

According to Demir, XRG holds a stake in the project, which connects Azerbaijani gas resources with Türkiye and European markets through more than 3,000 kilometers of pipeline infrastructure.

"The Southern Gas Corridor is a strategic project that currently delivers more than 25 billion cubic meters of gas annually, and we are proud to be part of it," he stressed.

Demir also pointed to a recently signed agreement involving SOCAR, BOTAṢ and other partners as an important milestone supporting future investment decisions and regional cooperation.

Beyond Azerbaijan, XRG is actively expanding its global footprint through investments in LNG projects in the United States and Argentina, upstream developments in Egypt and Mozambique, and strategic energy projects in Turkmenistan.