Gas volumes supplied to the European Union from Azerbaijan through the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) increased by 40% in 2022 amid the energy crisis in Europe, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2023) Gas volumes supplied to the European Union from Azerbaijan through the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) increased by 40% in 2022 amid the energy crisis in Europe, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Simson met with Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov in Baku to discuss further development of energy ties between the EU and Azerbaijan.
"Gas volumes delivered to the EU via the SGC in 2022 increased from around 8 bcm (billion cubic meters) to 11.4, therefore by more than 40% compared with 2021," Simson tweeted.
The commissioner added that the SGC had proven to be a "crucial source of piped gas" for the EU amid the ongoing energy crisis in the bloc.
In July, Baku vowed to increase the amount of gas supplied to Europe to 12 bcm gas in 2023. Moreover, Azerbaijan signed a memorandum of understanding on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy with the EU, confirming the commitment to double the capacity of the SGC to deliver at least 20 bcm of gas to the EU annually by 2027.
The SGC, a pipeline route stretching 2,174 miles, allows the transport of gas from the Caspian region to Europe. Commercial deliveries via the SGC began in December 2020, marking the first time in history that Azerbaijan's natural gas reached the European market through direct pipeline connection.
