In Europe's efforts to replace Russian gas the route was turned to Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan produced 43.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas last year according to data compiled from the International Energy Agency, the Azerbaijan Ministry of Energy and bp data.

Baku, which exported 18.9 billion cubic meters of gas it produced last year, sent 8.5 billion cubic meters of it to Turkey. During this period, 8.2 billion cubic meters was transferred to Europe via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

According to the statement made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in February, the remaining natural gas was delivered to European countries such as Bulgaria and Georgia.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson will hold talks in Azerbaijan today.

"Diversifying our energy imports is a priority for the EU, in an environment where Russia continues to use energy resources as a weapon," the European Commission's Twitter account said yesterday. President von der Leyen and Kadri Simson are in Azerbaijan tomorrow to further strengthen cooperation. will be." statements were included.

Within the scope of the said contacts, it is envisaged that negotiations will be held for the purchase of additional natural gas from Azerbaijan.

On the other hand, additional investments are needed to increase the gas sent from Azerbaijan, which has a proven natural gas reserve of 1.3 trillion cubic meters. In addition to additional pipeline and capacity expansion investments, Baku also needs to significantly increase its natural gas production.

The annual capacity of TAP, the European leg of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), built within the scope of the Southern Gas Corridor, is calculated as 10 billion cubic meters. This pipeline was built in such a way that its capacity could be doubled.

Meanwhile, on July 8, the opening of the Greece-Bulgaria pipeline (IGB) was held in Komotini, Greece.

Connected to TAP, the 182-kilometer-long IGB transports Azerbaijani natural gas to Europe. However, if the capacity of the said line is calculated together with TAP, this only replaces a small part of the gas that Europe buys from Russia.

If Europe, which buys about 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Russia, buys "much more" gas from Azerbaijan, there can be a significant substitution.

Europe wants a capacity increase in the Southern Gas Corridor. It seems technically possible to increase the capacity of TAP from 10 billion cubic meters to 20 billion cubic meters.

Increasing the capacity of TANAP from 16 billion cubic meters to 24 billion cubic meters and then to 31 billion cubic meters is considered as a goal that can be achieved through investments. It does not seem possible to realize these targets before 5 years, because although investments are made for capacity increases, additional protocols and agreements are required.

Considering that Azerbaijan also needs to significantly increase its natural gas production, it is anticipated that the country will not be able to help significantly reduce Europe's dependence on Russian gas in the near future.