Azerbaijan's Green Energy Export To Europe Advances - Turkish Minister (Interview)

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 11. Three key projects for exporting Azerbaijan's green energy to Europe are successfully progressing, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, told Trend in an interview on the sidelines of the 5th Azerbaijan-Türkiye Energy Forum.

He said that energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye is entering a new phase, and the parties are implementing a number of major regional projects in the fields of electricity and, in particular, renewable energy.

According to the minister, Azerbaijan is currently a strategic partner for Europe in natural gas supplies, and there are plans to apply the model the country has established in energy exports to the green energy sector as well.

"Azerbaijan is a strategic partner for Europe in natural gas supplies. The country supplies natural gas to 16 different states and plays a vital role in Europe's energy security. We plan to implement a similar model in the electricity sector, particularly regarding green energy," Bayraktar noted.

He pointed out that Azerbaijan's significant renewable energy potential, combined with agreements reached with Turkic states such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, creates new opportunities to transport the region's energy resources to European markets via Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

"Three distinct projects are being developed to implement this strategy. These projects, which are set to be realized with Türkiye's active participation, will ensure access to the carbon-neutral green energy that Europe requires," the minister emphasized.

Bayraktar also said that Azerbaijan-Türkiye energy cooperation is not limited to bilateral relations alone but is also of significant importance for regional and European energy security.

According to him, the Azerbaijan-Türkiye Energy Forum is one of the key institutional platforms for the exemplary energy cooperation between the two countries. The forum is held alternately, one year in Türkiye and the next in Azerbaijan.

"Currently, working groups are active in six different areas, including electricity, oil and natural gas, mining, energy efficiency, and other sectors. In addition to inter-institutional cooperation, representatives from the private sector are also involved in this process. This further strengthens the integration between the energy sectors of the two countries," he added.

Cooperation in oil and gas sector

The minister said that the energy partnership between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, which began in the 1990s, has expanded to cover everything from the production to the transportation of oil and natural gas.

He noted that the TANAP and TAP projects play a crucial role in delivering Azerbaijani natural gas to Türkiye and, via Türkiye, to Europe.

"The total volume of Azerbaijani gas transported via TANAP has already surpassed the 100-billion-cubic-meter mark," said Bayraktar.

The minister also noted that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline plays a crucial role in the energy supply security of the region and Europe.

According to him, approximately 500,000–600,000 barrels of crude oil are transported daily via the BTC pipeline from the Ceyhan terminal to global markets. Noting that the pipeline's capacity is higher than current throughput, Bayraktar emphasized the importance of incorporating oil resources from Central Asia and other Turkic states into this infrastructure.

"Our goal is to channel oil from Central Asia and the Turkic world into this line and utilize the existing infrastructure to its full capacity," he explained.

Three major green energy projects

Bayraktar noted that energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye has entered a new phase, extending into the fields of electricity and renewable energy.

According to him, three key projects in this area are currently in focus.

"The first project envisages the integration of Nakhchivan's electricity grid with Türkiye and energy exchange between the two parties. In the future, it is also possible to connect this line to the main territory of Azerbaijan via the Zangezur Corridor," the minister said.

He noted that the second initiative is a quadrilateral electricity corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Bulgaria.

"This is a significant green energy project involving four countries. It will enable the export of electricity generated in Azerbaijan to European markets via Georgia, Türkiye, and subsequently Bulgaria," Bayraktar emphasized.

According to the minister, the third major project is an underwater electricity cable planned to be laid across the bed of the Black Sea.

"This project is a major interconnector initiative extending from Azerbaijan and Georgia, across the Black Sea bed, to Romania and Hungary. At the invitation of the Azerbaijani side, Türkiye has also expressed its intention to participate in and support this project," he stated.

Energy potential of Turkic states

Bayraktar noted the significant potential for expanding cooperation among Turkic states in the energy and mining sectors.

He said that the countries of the region possess complementary energy and raw material resources.

"Turkmenistan is one of the countries with the world's largest natural gas reserves. Kazakhstan is not only a major global oil producer but also one of the world's key uranium suppliers. The region's potential is not limited to hydrocarbons; it also holds various mineral and mining resources of great importance to industry," the minister said.

According to him, Türkiye plays a dual role in this chain: as a large consumer market and as a vital transit hub.

"Türkiye's rapidly growing economy and robust industrial infrastructure generate a constant demand for raw materials, mineral resources, and electricity. Meanwhile, the abundant resources of the Central Asian Turkic states can be transported to diverse global markets via the existing transport and energy infrastructure of Azerbaijan and Türkiye," Bayraktar stated.

Global energy crisis and supply security

The minister stated that supply security remains a key issue in global energy markets.

According to him, unlike the demand-driven crisis observed in energy markets during the pandemic, pressures related to supply and availability are now coming to the fore. This situation is also impacting the prices of oil, gasoline, diesel, and natural gas.

Bayraktar noted that natural gas prices in Europe are rising, with one of the primary reasons being that countries across the continent are purchasing larger volumes of gas from the market to fill their storage facilities.

Highlighting that Türkiye has diversified its sources and routes, the Minister noted that the country is not facing significant difficulties regarding energy supply.

"Türkiye's sources and routes have been diversified. Our natural gas storage facilities reached 100% capacity as of July. At the same time, hydroelectric reserves in our reservoirs are also at high levels," said Bayraktar.

He emphasized that the regional energy projects jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Türkiye constitute an exemplary model of cooperation for ensuring supply security amidst global crises.

According to Bayraktar, the diversification of energy routes and resources, as well as the strengthening of close cooperation between the countries, are of decisive importance for ensuring global energy security.

"Azerbaijan's rich energy resources complement Türkiye's large domestic market, strategic geographic location, and extensive transport and energy links with Europe. These projects not only strengthen Azerbaijan-Türkiye relations but also enable the delivery of energy resources from Central Asia and Turkic states to European markets via a unified infrastructure," the minister added.

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