Trans Adriatic Pipeline Sets New Milestone in Gas Supplies from Azerbaijan to Europe

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has achieved another significant milestone in terms of the volume of gas supplies from Azerbaijan to European markets.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the TAP Consortium, the operator of the pipeline, disclosed the total amount of gas delivered since the energy route was inaugurated in 2020.

“Another milestone! TAP has safely transported 25 bcm of natural gas to Greece, Bulgaria, and Italy since the start of commercial operations. TAP, being a reliable energy transporter, can expand in stages to further enhance Europe’s energy security,” the Consortium wrote on Twitter.

Azerbaijan has been providing natural gas to Europe through TAP since December 31, 2020. TAP constitutes the final segment of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) and stretches over 773 kilometers onshore and 105 kilometers offshore, originating at the Turkish-Greek border, traversing Greece and Albania, and culminating in Italy.

The SGC consists of three segments, spanning seven countries and six regulatory systems. It connects 11 different investors and supplies natural gas to 12 distinct buyers, primarily in Europe. Initially, the pipeline’s annual transportation capacity is 16 bcm, shared between Türkiye and Europe, with 6 bcm and 10 bcm respectively. The primary source of natural gas for the SGC is Azerbaijan’s offshore Shah Deniz field, which holds approximately 1.2 trillion cubic meters of proven reserves.

Currently, the European market accounts for the largest portion of daily gas exports from Azerbaijan, with approximately 27 million cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas supplied to European consumers each day.

In 2021, Europe received 8 bcm of gas from Azerbaijan, which increased to 11.4 bcm in 2022. During his recent visit to Lithuania, President Ilham Aliyev announced that the supply of blue energy to Europe would reach 12 bcm this year and is expected to reach 20 bcm by 2027.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan delivered a total of 6.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to foreign markets in the first quarter of this year, including 2.9 bcm to Europe, 2.7 bcm to Türkiye, and 0.9 bcm to Georgia.

Azerbaijan’s significant gas condensate fields, such as the “Absheron” field, which is projected to produce 1.5 billion cubic meters per year in its initial phase, enable the country to increase its annual supplies to overseas markets year after year. Other noteworthy fields with untapped potential include the “Babak” field with estimated reserves of 400 billion cubic meters and the “Umid” field with at least 200 billion cubic meters.

In addition to the existing markets, countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia are exploring the possibility of receiving gas from Azerbaijan.

Bulgaria has already secured the import of 3 bcm of Azerbaijani gas annually after the inauguration of the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector in October 2022.