EU Commissioner drives green energy vision, gas supply strategy in Azerbaijan

Dan Jørgensen, the EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing, will arrive in Baku to further solidify the EU-Azerbaijan energy partnership.

His visit includes participation in two key events: the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) Advisory Council and the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council, Caliber.Az reports via the European Commission.

During the inaugural session of the Southern Gas Corridor, Commissioner Jørgensen will address participants, emphasizing the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor as a critical element in the EU’s strategy to diversify gas supply routes, particularly in the wake of efforts to phase out Russian energy dependence. The SGC is vital for enhancing energy security in Europe and its neighbouring countries by providing alternative sources of natural gas from the Caspian region.

Jørgensen's visit will also highlight the EU's increasing focus on green energy. He is scheduled to engage in discussions on renewable energy cooperation, energy efficiency, and methane emissions abatement during the Green Energy Advisory Council session. The Commissioner will meet with energy ministers from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria to review the progress of the green energy corridor agreement, which aims to foster renewable energy development across the region.

Additionally, Jørgensen will co-chair an EU-Azerbaijan business roundtable focused on the development of offshore wind energy in the Caspian Sea, alongside Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov. This initiative is part of broader efforts to diversify the EU's energy mix and promote sustainable energy solutions in the region.

On his way to Baku, Commissioner Jørgensen will make a stop in Ankara, Türkiye, where he will meet with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar to discuss energy cooperation between the EU and Türkiye.

The EU and Azerbaijan have a long-standing and consolidated energy partnership which started in 2006 with the first Memorandum of Understanding on a strategic partnership in the field of energy. As they pursue their energy transitions and the objectives of the Paris Agreement, both sides intend to deepen their long-term partnership in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reduction of methane emissions.

Strengthening the existing cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan significantly contributes to the diversification of the EU's energy supply in line with the REPowerEU plan.

On 18 July 2022, the EU and Azerbaijan signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a strategic partnership in the field of energy that allows for enhanced cooperation on their energy partnership. The new MoU supports doubling the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor up to at least 20 billion cubic metres annually as of 2027. Building on the stability and predictability of gas supplies provided via the Southern Gas Corridor, the expansion of the project will continue ensuring attractive and stable conditions for natural gas supplies to the EU, reflecting the long-term nature of the energy partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan.

The EU and Azerbaijan also intend to accelerate the development and deployment of renewable energy generation and transmission capacity, and recognise that the collective responsibility is to make the natural gas supply chain as efficient, environment and climate-friendly as possible, including via the minimisation of methane emissions.

By Vafa Guliyeva