European Commission talks on clean energy transition and Southern Gas Corridor

By Trend

Southern Gas Corridor remains one of the priority projects of the European Commission, the European Commission told Trend, in response to the question about compatibility of the project with EU clean energy transition strategy.

The Commission said that it has a strategic importance for European energy security, especially in the most vulnerable parts of Europe, such as South-East Europe and Southern Italy.

"We all stand to gain from this 'bridge' between the EU market and the Caspian region. In the long run, our objective is to create a pan-European energy market based on free trade, competition and diversified supplies, sources and routes," said the European Commission.

On 30 November 2016, the European Commission presented a new package of measures with the goal of providing the stable legislative framework needed to facilitate the clean energy transition – and thereby taking a significant step towards the creation of the Energy Union.

The Commission wants the EU to lead the clean energy transition, not only adapt to it. For this reason the EU has committed to cut CO2 emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 while modernizing the EU's economy and delivering on jobs and growth for all European citizens. The proposals have three main goals: putting energy efficiency first, achieving global leadership in renewable energies and providing a fair deal for consumers.

The Southern Gas Corridor provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

On May 29, Baku hosted the launch ceremony of the first phase of the Southern Gas Corridor project, and on June 12, the opening ceremony of TANAP pipeline was held in the Turkish province of Eskisehir with the participation of the presidents of Azerbaijan - Ilham Aliyev, Turkey - Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ukraine - Petro Poroshenko and Serbia - Alexander Vucic.

The gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field has already gone through the first segment of the Southern Gas Corridor - from the Sangachal terminal to the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline. The next stage is the commissioning of the TANAP gas pipeline, through which gas will flow into Turkey and further to Europe.