SOCAR: Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline set for completion by November PHOTO

The construction of the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline (to supply Azerbaijani gas via Türkiye to Nakhchivan) is set to be completed by the end of November, with gas supplies expected to commence shortly thereafter, said Deputy Vice President of SOCAR Polad Rustamov.

According to Rustamov, the pipeline's capacity will be 2 million cubic metres per day, or 730 million cubic metres annually, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

"With slight modifications, its capacity can be increased to 5 million cubic metres per day, which is equivalent to 1.8 billion cubic metres per year," said Rustamov.

The energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye continues to strengthen, and the Iğdır-Nakhchivan pipeline, the third major pipeline following Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum and TANAP, serves as an important indicator of this growing partnership. The project will provide the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with a stable and reliable gas supply, eliminating the dependency on swap deliveries from Iran.

A memorandum of understanding for the construction of the gas pipeline was signed on December 25, 2020, in Ankara. On September 25, 2023, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye laid the foundation for the Iğdır-Nakhchivan pipeline. The Azerbaijani section of the project is being built by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), while the Turkish section is being handled by the BOTAŞ company.

Construction work on the pipeline began in July 2023, with a total length of approximately 100 kilometres, 17 kilometres of which lies within Azerbaijan's territory.

By Aghakazim Guliyev