Faced with the increasingly real threat that Russia will turn off the gas tap, Russia has already reduced supply, in whole or in part, to 12 Member States. Brussels It has been negotiating with other producing countries for months to try to replace Moscow as the supplier of this energy source. Last March, he signed a deal United States of America to increase shipments by another 15 billion cubic meters this year. with a memorandum in May Sweetcorn and Israel importing liquefied natural gas. it was in june Norway Who has promised to increase their deliveries. As of this Monday, the European Union (EU) is adding one more step to its “trusted” allies to remain energy-free from the Kremlin as soon as possible: Azerbaijan. According to the agreement announced by the President of the European Commission from Baku, Ursula von der Leyenex-Soviet republic will increase supply EU to reach at least 20,000 million cubic meters per year in the coming years.
“The EU has decided to move away from Russia and turn to reliable and reliable suppliers, and I am pleased to count Azerbaijan among them. He is a very important energy partner for us,” Von der Leyen emphasized in a short speech in Baku after signing a memorandum of understanding with the president on energy issues. Ilham Aliyev. A total of 8.1 billion of the 22 billion cubic meters exported by Azerbaijan last year were sent to Turkey. Europe. “It is a crucial supply route for the EU, which currently supplies more than 8 billion cubic meters of gas per year. In a few years, we will increase its capacity to 20 billion cubic meters per year. And from next year we should reach 12,000 million cubic meters, “explained the Germans about an additional volume of 4,000 million cubic meters to compensate for the cuts in Moscow.
South Corridor Expansion
The agreement also aims to broaden the scope. Southern Gas Corridor. It is an important supply route consisting of 3,500 kilometers of pipes carrying gas from deposits. From the Caspian Sea to Europe. It does this through the Trans Adriatic gas pipeline, which provides it. Italy, Greece and Bulgaria. This last European country was one of the first partners that Moscow, along with Russia, cut off the supply. Poland in order not to pay rubles for fuel. A warning to seafarers prompting Brussels to step up talks with third countries – this week community experts will travel to Nigeria– to replace two-thirds of -155,000 million cubic meters of Russian gas in 2021 – already this year.
And it’s on the right track right now, according to Community Manager sources. Until this year, the EU imported 40 percent of the products it imported from Russia. natural gas This rate was reduced to 20% in the first half of 2022 due to increased imports from alternative suppliers or Gazprom’s unilateral cuts. “Part of the irony of the current situation is that Russia has unplanned and unilaterally withdrawn from some contracts, which has caused the market chaos we see today,” Community sources said.
Alone along the pipeline Nordstream1Sources from the Executive describe the diversification campaign as “successful”, saying that the shipments of the Russian natural gas company, which unites Russia and Germany, have fallen by 60% this year and that “there is no reason to think that this trend will not continue”. since the beginning of the year. Imports from non-Russian suppliers increased by 21,000 million cubic meters this year (compared to the same period of the previous year), according to the figures the commission discussed. pipe Line14,000 cubic meters has grown from countries such as Norway, North Africa or the Caspian Sea. In the same period, Russia’s pipeline imports decreased by 28 billion cubic meters to approximately 45 billion.
renewable provider
The agreement with Azerbaijan does not only talk about natural gas. In addition, to strengthen cooperation in the field of renewable energy, to benefit from the potential in wind, solar and green hydrogen energy and turning the country into a future renewable energy providerand to reduce methane emissions. In this area, the agreement includes commitments to mitigate such problems. emissions Brussels is confident that Baku will join the list of 119 countries that are part of the Global Methane Commitment.
In parallel, the EU and Azerbaijan continue to reach an agreement. bilateral cooperation agreement which they hope to conclude soon and to re-start business relations further. EU is the main partner of the country, the first export destination and one of the main sources of financing. By 2024, the EU will invest 60 million euros in the country, and as Von der Leyen reminds, the potential is huge, through the economic and investment plan. “To realize the full potential of Azerbaijan, it is important to create the right conditions for investor confidence. This includes greater participation of civil society and a free and independent media,” he said.