BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 1. Azerbaijan's state
oil company SOCAR and Slovakian SPP are prepared to cooperate on
longer-term gas supplies, CEO of SPP, a state-owned energy supplier
headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, Martin Huska said in an
exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the Baku Energy Week.
"The pilot short-term contract for the purchase of natural gas
from SOCAR confirmed that both companies are prepared to cooperate
also in the event of an agreement on longer-term natural gas
supplies to Slovakia," he said.
SOCAR delivered natural gas to Slovakia’s SPP, the country’s
largest state-owned energy supplier in throughout December 2024.
Gas supplies, which began on December 1, 2024, were conducted under
a short-term pilot agreement between SOCAR and SPP.
"Thanks to our continuous efforts to diversify supply sources,
SPP currently has access to a portfolio of gas supplies from
several major international gas suppliers through their global
portfolios. However, we continue to further diversify our natural
gas sources. We are in discussions with additional gas suppliers
and producers regarding gas deliveries to Slovakia from the
beginning of the implementation of the RepowerEU regulation in the
fourth quarter of 2027. These discussions involve approximately
thirty companies. The outcome of these negotiations will also shape
the configuration of gas supplies for SPP from the fourth quarter
of 2027 onwards," noted Huska.
The CEO pointed out that the most important factors the company
considers in discussions with its partners are a competitive price
for natural gas, sufficient and sustainable gas supply capacity,
and, from a security of supply perspective, any risks associated
with deliveries to Slovakia.
"The potential availability of gas from Azerbaijan should also
be viewed within this context. Azerbaijani gas may be one of the
solutions for us, and we are in regular contact with our colleagues
at SOCAR. The question, however, remains within what timeframe this
could become a reality. According to statements from Azerbaijani
representatives, the country is currently working on increasing its
gas production capacity and improving gas infrastructure in the
region," he said.
As for new areas beyond gas supply, such as renewable energy
projects, Huska noted that so far, the companies have only held
preliminary discussions on these topics with representatives of
SOCAR. "Our highest priority is to secure safe and competitively
priced natural gas sources for our customers," he concluded.
