By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has said that 9.7 billion cubic meters of gas have been exported to Europe since the Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP) was put into operation.

He made the remarks during a panel discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on "energy security in turmoil".

“This year our gas exports to Turkey are expected to increase by 8.2 billion cubic meters and to Europe by 9.1 billion cubic meters,” he said.

Southern Gas Corridor

The minister stated that he sees the joint development of renewable energy and natural gas as strengthening Azerbaijan's energy security and that the Southern Gas Corridor was a successful project that provided consumers with gas at an uninterrupted and affordable price.

Shahbazov addd that the corridor's uniqueness allows for the diversification of supply sources as well as new consumption directions for the Southern Gas Corridor.

“Azerbaijan's huge gas reserves, existing infrastructure, and various countries' interest in Azerbaijani gas have brought the expansion of the corridor to the fore. It is time to start working in this direction,” he said.

Energy markets

Furthermore, the minister provided an update on the current state of energy markets, the growing role of natural gas in long-term energy supply, and Azerbaijan's energy policy, which is based on the diversity of energy resources.

He noted that the balance between the three aspects of the energy trilemma, security, accessibility, and sustainability, had been thrown off.

“On the one hand, the energy transition's energy crisis, and on the other, ongoing political tensions, made the energy markets dramatically unstable and volatile. This problem was caused by market participants' energy policies, as well as unfair approaches to energy resources, while political processes exacerbated it,” he said.

Sustainable energy solutions

Shahbazov stated that sustainable energy solutions will be one of the main challenges tomorrow, just as they are today, and natural gas will play an important role in the energy transition process.

He added that ensuring a balance between energy security and environmental safety is a more rational approach, and that depenence on a single energy resource leads to energy market instability.

Simultaneously, the minister noted that the energy crisis that began last year resulted in an extension of the distance to the carbon neutrality target by increasing the use of energy types such as coal.

The energy minister briefed not only on Caspian Sea gas but also on plans to export electricity using wind energy's vast potential.

Furthermore, he regarded the forum as one of Turkey's initiatives aimed at establishing a dialogue on global issues.

He also emphasized that Turkey is a reliable partner in energy security issues and that Azerbaijan implements all energy security projects in collaboration with Turkey.

It should be noted that the panel was moderated by Brenda Shaffer, an international energy expert, and was attended by Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and international expert Matthew Bryza.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum brings together heads of state and governments, ministers, well-known statesmen and political figures, influential politicians, scientists, businessmen, and media representatives from many countries around the world to promote dialogue.