Dutch MFA: SGC completion next year is important milestone

By Azernews

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Since gaining independence, Azerbaijan has gradually achieved the goal of diversifying the transportation of energy resources and creating a modern infrastructure for this. The country managed to enter the world markets with its natural gas, which is considered the energy wealth of Azerbaijan.

The Netherlands considers the completion of the construction of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) in 2020 an important event in terms of European energy security, the Dutch Foreign Ministry told Trend.

The ministry noted that although the Netherlands is not geographically connected to the Southern Gas Corridor, the Dutch side has always considered the desire for energy security by diversifying oil and gas imports to Europe to be geopolitically important.

"In this sense, we see the SGC completion next year as an important milestone," the ministry added.

It also noted that despite the fact that only about five percent of gas will be delivered to Europe through the SGC at the initial stage, there is obviously a significant growth potential.

The Southern Gas Corridor, a $40 billion worth project, envisages the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey and Europe through the pipeline, which will be operated within the second stage of the Shah Deniz gas condensate field project in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

The SGC consists of four projects: Shah Deniz-2, expansion of the South Caucasus pipeline Baku-Georgia-border with Turkey, construction of the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) from the eastern to western borders of Turkey and the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP), connecting Greece, Albania and Adriatic Sea in the south of Italy.

The SGC provides for the creation of pipeline infrastructure for the transportation of Azerbaijani gas produced through the development of the Shah Deniz-2 field via Turkey to Europe.

Azerbaijani gas supplies to Europe are expected from the beginning of 2020 in the amount of 10 billion cubic meters. In addition, six billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas will be delivered to the western regions of Turkey. These deliveries began in the summer of 2018.

On May 29, Baku hosted the launch of the first phase of the Southern Gas Corridor project, and on June 12, the opening ceremony of the TANAP took place in the Turkish province of Eskisehir.

The first gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field has already gone through the first segment of the Southern Gas Corridor - from the Sangachal terminal to the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline.