By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Turkey’s natural gas import from Azerbaijan via Trans- Anatolian Gas Pipeline increased by 25.3 percent, during the first eight months of 2020, Turkish media has reported.

During the reporting period, Turkey’s natural gas import from Azerbaijan amounted to 7.2 billion cubic meters, which is an increase compared to the same period of 2019.

Of them, 2.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas were transported to Turkey via Trans- Anatolian Gas Pipeline.

It should be noted that total of 6.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas were transported to Turkey via TANAP during the period of January 2018 to September 2020.

Earlier it was reported that during the reporting period Azerbaijan increased natural gas production by 8.7 percent or 2 billion cubic meters compared to the same period of 2019. Thus, the natural gas production during the reporting period amounted to 25.1 billion cubic meters. In addition, gas sales abroad increased by 17.6 percent and amounted to 8.7 billion cubic meters.

Moreover, test shipment of Azerbaijani natural gas from Shah Deniz-2 gas condensate field to Europe via Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline has started. Thus, gas will pass through the Adriatic Sea via Trans- Adriatic gas pipeline, which connects to TANAP on the Turkish Greek border, and will be delivered to Italy.

TANAP is the central part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects the giant Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan to Europe through the South Caucasus Pipeline and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline. The pipeline has a strategic importance as it allows the Azerbaijani gas exports to Europe.

The capacity of the pipeline is 16 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year at initial stage and would be increased later up to 23 billion cubic meters by 2023, 31 billion cubic meters  by 2026, and at the final stage 60 billion cubic meters.