BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. Italy looks with
interest to the Southern Gas Corridor’s possible expansion, Edmondo
Cirielli said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the occasion of the Sixth Session of the
Italy-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission in Baku.
Cirielli noted that the Southern Gas Corridor is a strategic
infrastructure for Italy and for the European Union.
“Especially in the aftermath of the Russian aggression on
Ukraine, Azerbaijan’s gas supplies have been critical for Europe’s
energy security and for sustaining the phase-out from Russian gas.
Since its inauguration in 2020, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP)
has transported over 40 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijan’s gas to
Italy, making Baku the second largest supplier of gas of Italy.
Based on the positive results achieved so far, the Italian
government looks with interest to the possible expansion of the
Southern Gas Corridor, based on market assessments and an active
involvement of International Financial Institutions,” he said.
As a critical component of the Southern Gas Corridor, TAP
transports natural gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field in the
Caspian Sea directly to European markets.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline, the final leg of the Southern Gas
Corridor, has transported more than 54 bcm of gas to Europe over
the last five years.
Starting from January 1, 2026, TAP made available the additional
long-term capacity under a new gas transportation agreement
(GTA).
