(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.3 . Romgaz and SOCAR
intend to improve the mechanisms for the delivery of natural gas
from Azerbaijan to Romania, said Romania's Minister of Energy
Virgil Daniel-Popescu in an exclusive interview with Trend.
He recalled that on 19th October 2022, Romanian natural gas
producer Romgaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
Azerbaijan's national oil company SOCAR to explore the opportunity
of jointly developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the
Black Sea.
“The project would include a Natural gas liquefaction terminal
and a regasification terminal, as well as other facilities and
installations needed to transport gas from the Caspian Sea basin to
Romania. Also in December 2022, Romgaz and SOCAR TRADING, a
subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
signed the first individual contract for the delivery of gas from
Azerbaijan to Romania. The individual contract allows for scheduled
gas deliveries from 1 January 2023 through the Southern Corridor
using the transmission capacities of the TAP and IGB pipelines and
the transmission systems in Bulgaria and Romania. The contract is
based on the Memorandum of Understanding recently concluded between
the two companies, with an unlimited term. The signing of this
contract ensures the possibility to acquire volumes of natural gas
from Azerbaijan to meet potential consumption needs with imported
gas. The contract thus serves the strategic objectives of security
of supply and diversification of gas sources,” said the
minister.
Virgil Daniel-Popescu went on to add that the Memorandum of
Understanding for natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan as well as
this first individual contract are the result of an excellent
cooperation between Romgaz and SOCAR, initiated earlier in 2022 and
formalized by the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding.
“The parties intend to continue their cooperation and to improve
the mechanisms for the delivery of natural gas from Azerbaijan to
Romania,” the minister said.
Virgil Daniel-Popescu pointed out that the start of gas
deliveries from Azerbaijan to Europe has been an important
achievement, owing to joint efforts of all countries involved in
the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor, and also an
extremely important turning point for the European energy landscape
in terms of diversification of gas supply sources and routes.
“In July 2022, the European Commission signed with Azerbaijan a
Memorandum of Understanding to double imports of Azerbaijani
natural gas to at least 20 billion cubic meters per year by 2027.
The decision was taken as part of a wider policy to move away from
fossil fuels from the Russian Federation. Romania has a solid
Strategic Partnership with Azerbaijan since 2009. Our country has
intensified the efforts to find alternative routes and sources for
energy, while providing support in this field for our neighbors
Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The Southern Gas Corridor is a
project that Romania has consistently supported since its
inception, and which has taken shape every year, proving its
growing importance for Europe's energy security,” he added.
Green energy prospects
Romania has already held talks with companies to invest in green
energy project with Azerbaijan, said Virgil Daniel-Popescu.
He recalled that Romania, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Hungary signed
on 17th December 2022 the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in
Green Energy Development and Transport. Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, Georgian Prime
Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor
Orban signed the agreement in Bucharest. Romanian President Klaus
Iohannis and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
attended the signing ceremony.
“The agreement is based on the four countries' interests in
strengthening national and regional energy security and
connectivity in the Black Sea basin, diversifying sources of
supply, harnessing the potential for renewable energy production in
the Caspian region and increasing the share of renewable energy in
the national energy mix. The quadrilateral intergovernmental
agreement will provide the financial and technical framework for
the implementation of the submarine renewable electricity
transmission cable project between Romania and Azerbaijan via
Georgia and the Black Sea, and subsequently for the transmission of
this energy to Hungary and the rest of Europe via the European
transmission system,” said the minister.
He noted that Romania is playing an active role, has initiated
negotiations for this important project and the authorities have
already held talks with companies to invest in the project.
“Through this project, Romania also wants to strengthen energy
security for the countries in the region,” Virgil Daniel-Popescu
added.
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