Azerbaijan Exports Half of its Gas to Europe Amid Growing Energy Cooperation
Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov announced that nearly half of the country's gas exports go to Europe. Speaking at the fourth meeting of the High-Level Energy Dialogue between Azerbaijan and the European Union in Brussels, Shahbazov revealed that in 2023, Azerbaijan supplied 12.8 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe.
This year has seen deliveries exceed 7 billion cubic meters in the first eight months alone, with Germany and Austria receiving Azerbaijani gas for the first time this year. As a result, the number of EU countries receiving Azerbaijani gas has risen to 10.
The meeting also addressed projects aimed at increasing gas production, including Shah Deniz Compression, non-associated gas from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field block, and the full-scale development of the Absheron field. The sides highlighted the importance of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Baku in July in establishing a partnership on energy connectivity.
The Southern Gas Corridor and cooperation in natural gas were described as key areas of the Azerbaijan-EU energy partnership, with the initial stage of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) capacity expansion being implemented. The meeting noted that around 80% of Azerbaijan's crude oil exports are directed to the European market.