Kaladze: SOCAR ensures reliable gas supply to Georgia

By  Trend

Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR ensures a guaranteed, continuous and reliable gas supply to social sector – households and power generation facilities – based on the memorandum signed with Georgia and the agreements with Georgia’s Oil and Gas Corporation, says Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze.

Kaladze, who is also Georgia’s energy minister, said in an interview with Trend that this is a factor significantly contributing to increasing the energy security of Georgia.

The minister noted that Azerbaijan, through two gas pipelines, almost fully satisfies gas demand of Georgia.

"Average daily volume of gas supply is about 10.5-11.5 million cubic meters from the sources from Azerbaijan, which is expected to be increased even further with the ongoing development of the second phase of Shah Deniz field," said Kaladze.

The minister said the Georgian side welcomes participation of SOCAR in the energy sector of the country.

"SOCAR Georgia Gas Ltd. performs the largest gasification project across the country. The works are provided under the contract between the government of Georgia and SOCAR signed in 2009. Within the framework of the contract, the rehabilitation and construction of a natural gas distribution network is carried out," he added.

The minister said that in a period from 2009 to 2016, more than 200,000 consumers in about 600 settlements got access to the natural gas network across the country.

"The important part of the project will be performed in 2017. By the end of this year, 75 percent of the population will be able to use the natural gas," he added.

Speaking about the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Power Bridge, Kaladze said it is operating successfully.

"Georgia and Azerbaijan are connected by two high-voltage lines (500 kV and 33 kV), which increased the reliability of connection and cross-border capacity as well," said the minister.

He pointed out that 2016 was remarkable, as for the first time around 1 billion kWh (300 MW) of electricity was transited from Azerbaijan to Turkey via Georgia.

Regarding the process of privatization of the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation JSC, the minister said the option of the company’s IPO was in consideration earlier, however, no specific decisions have been made.

He added that no particular possible interest of Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR was discussed within the context.