(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Tomorrow, global
attention will once again be drawn to Azerbaijan, where the ninth
ministerial meeting of the Southern gas Corridor Advisory Council
will be held. Every year this event becomes increasingly popular
and brings together more and more potential partners who are
seeking to be part of efforts to address energy issues. Azerbaijan,
which is a source of Natural gas for this significant
infrastructure project, which is now of particular importance, is
certainly at the center of these efforts. European countries have
repeatedly stated that the implementation of the Southern Gas
Corridor project was a wise decision, and that without this
project, the countries of the continent would have struggled more
amid the current energy crisis.
The idea of the Southern Gas Corridor was implemented thanks to
the political will and foreign policy of President of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev. The project Azerbaijan initiated has been outlined
for the long-term future at the very beginning, since the talks on
its expansion have started. In this regard, the Southern Gas
Corridor is a result of the far-sighted policy of President Ilham
Aliyev. And now, when there is a real need to increase gas supplies
for this infrastructure, Azerbaijan, as a reliable partner, keeps
its word and expresses its readiness to supply more gas.
Tomorrow's meeting has a special significance and differs from
previous ones. Traditionally, issues related to the increase of
natural gas supplies from the Caspian region to Europe are
discussed. So, within the framework of this event, the first
meeting of ministers on green energy will be held. And this is not
accidental, as European countries have something to discuss with
Azerbaijan in this area. Thanks to the new energy policy
implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, our
country is turning into a reliable supplier of green energy.
Two main components form the basis of President
Ilham Aliyev's new energy policy
The first one is the Memorandum of Understanding on strategic
partnership in the field of energy signed on July 18, 2022 between
Azerbaijan and the EU. The document signed by President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and European Commission President Ursula
von der Leyen envisages doubling natural gas supplies from
Azerbaijan to Europe, as well as expanding cooperation in
alternative energy. The implementation of this document has already
begun.
The second component is the energy 'bridge', which is being
constructed by Azerbaijan to Europe. Under the leadership of
President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan plans to become an important
supplier of electricity produced from green energy to Europe.
Azerbaijan has a huge potential in the production of both
natural gas and renewable energy to cover the growing energy needs
of Europe.
The confirmed gas reserves in Azerbaijan amount to 2.6 trillion
cubic meters, and the expected reserves are about 3 trillion cubic
meters. Only the potential of the Umid gas field exceeds more than
200 billion cubic meters. And this allows Azerbaijan to remain a
reliable supplier of hydrocarbon resources in the next 100
years.
In 2022, Azerbaijan exported 11.3 billion cubic meters of gas to
Europe, while supplying 8.2 billion cubic meters in 2021. In 2023,
Azerbaijan plans to export at least 11.6 billion cubic meters to
Europe, and the total volume of natural gas exports from Azerbaijan
in 2023 will total approximately 24 billion cubic meters. For
comparison, in 2021 this figure stood at 19 billion cubic meters.
Azerbaijan is expanding the geography of gas supplies to the
European market. This is a win-win situation, because Europe needs
gas to maintain its energy security, and Azerbaijan needs a
reliable market for the sale of large volumes of energy
resources.
As President Ilham Aliyev said today in a press statement after
meeting Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in an expanded format,
Azerbaijan has successfully implemented the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline
(TAP) project and has become a reliable energy partner for the
EU.
“This is acknowledged by the leaders of the European Union. The
Strategic Partnership Memorandum on natural gas signed between the
European Union and Azerbaijan in Baku last year shows this again,”
President Ilham Aliyev said.
The TAP consortium has recently started the first stage of
increasing the throughput. The consortium will add 1.2 billion
cubic meters of capacity per year under long-term contracts
starting in 2026.
On the development of renewable energy in
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan's renewable energy potential, mainly, onshore wind
and solar power, exceeds 27 GW, while offshore wind potential in
the Caspian amounts to 157 GW. Azerbaijan plans to produce 3 GW of
wind and 1 GW of solar energy by 2027 with one of its strategic
investors, and 80 percent of these energy volumes will be exported.
Azerbaijan also eyes developing an additional capacity of at least
6 GW by 2037.
The already implemented green energy projects will connect
Azerbaijan and Europe even more.
Thus, on December 17, 2022 in Bucharest an Agreement on
strategic partnership in the field of development and transfer of
green energy was signed between the governments of the Republic of
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary. A cable will be laid on
the bottom of the Black Sea, through which green energy will be
supplied from Azerbaijan to Europe. This means that Azerbaijan will
fully participate in ensuring the energy security of the region.
The decision of bp to invest in a 230 MW solar power project in
Azerbaijan's Jabrayil, one of the regions, liberated from Armenian
occupation in 2020, is also commendable. It is envisaged that the
electricity from Jabrayil will be transferred along the Zangazur
corridor, and for this a large junction substation is under
construction in the region.
The minimal capacity of solar and wind energy in Karabakh and
Eastern Zangazur, which have been declared a green energy zone, is
9,200 MW, while the hydropower potential accounts for at least 600
MW. Meanwhile, more than 30 medium and small hydroelectric power
plants will be built in the liberated territories, and 5 of them
have already been put into operation.
Overall, ongoing investments in solar and wind power projects in
Azerbaijan will provide for the production of more than 700 MW of
clean energy. At the same time, Azerbaijan plans to build solar and
wind power plants with a capacity of up to 22,000 MW on the basis
of protocols of intentions signed with two leading global
manufacturers.
Today, as a result of the successful implementation of a
comprehensive energy strategy under the leadership of President
Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan managed to find a balance between
hydrocarbons and green energy and turn into a comprehensive energy
supplier in Europe. As President Ilham Aliyev stressed during the
meeting with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy in
the Bureau of Energy Resources Laura Lochman, foundation laid by
the Southern Gas Corridor provided favorable conditions for
renewable energy cooperation.
The SGC is the most important international asset of Azerbaijan
and in synergy with the green 'corridor' makes the country the most
important link in the energy artery of Europe.