BAKU, Azerbaijan,
March 3. Approaches deepening the energy dilemma
must be rejected, Azerbaijan's Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov
said at the 12th meeting of the Ministers of the Advisory Council
on the Southern Gas Corridor and the 4th meeting of the Ministers
of the Advisory Council on Green Energy being held in Baku,
Trend reports.
According to him, of the 25.2 billion cubic meters of natural
gas exported last year, about 51% went to Europe, while the
remaining 49% went to Türkiye, Georgia, and Syria. This shows that
if the real support provided to the first phase of the Southern Gas
Corridor had been extended to the subsequent phases, doubling gas
supplies to Europe would have become a reality today.
The minister stressed that Azerbaijan is a reliable supplier to
Europe and that demand for Azerbaijani gas remains high.
"However, the institutional and financial support from the
demand side for expansion is still insufficient. Energy security
cannot rest solely with the supplier. We are advancing four
upstream projects scheduled for commissioning between 2026 and
2029. This year, the first natural gas is expected to be produced
from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field. In addition, four new
exploration projects are being implemented onshore and offshore,"
he explained.
Shahbazov noted that the participation of the United Arab
Emirates as a shareholder in the Southern Gas Corridor is also an
important positive development:
"However, despite such positive developments, a clear and
long-term policy framework, supported by specific financial
mechanisms, is required to significantly increase gas volumes to
Europe. Hydrocarbons still occupy a significant place in global
energy supply, while renewable energy faces network constraints.
Therefore, we must abandon approaches that deepen the energy
dilemma and adopt a realistic, investment-based strategy for
natural gas," he added.
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