Azerbaijan Begins 1.2 BCM Gas Exports to Syria via Turkey in Historic Energy Deal
A senior official at Azeri state energy company SOCAR told Reuters on Saturday that Azerbaijan will open a new tab Shah Deniz gas field in the Azeri Caspian Sea and export 1.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually to Syria through Turkey from the BP-operated (BP.L) field.
Turkey has become one of the principal foreign friends of the new Syrian government after supporting opposition troops in neighbouring Syria during the 13-year civil war that culminated in Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow in December.
Now, Ankara is putting itself in a position to play a significant role in Syria’s rehabilitation.
As Turkey and Azerbaijan began exporting natural gas to Syria, SOCAR Vice President Elshad Nasirov was speaking at a ceremony in the southern Turkish city of Kilis, near the Syrian border.
The initiative comes after agreements between Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Syria’s new President Ahmad al-Sharaa in April and July, according to Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov.
According to a planned plan, gas would be sent to Syria via Turkish territory, Jabbarov stated. “By launching gas exports to Syria, Azerbaijan has demonstrated that it is capable of exporting gas not only to the West, but also to the East and the South,” he stated during the discussion.
Deliveries are anticipated to reach approximately 6 million cubic meters (mcm) per day, according to Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
Although the current delivery plan anticipates 1.2 billion cubic meters of exports yearly, Bayraktar stated that the first phase may potentially supply up to 2 billion cubic meters annually.
According to Bayraktar, the gas would be utilised to revive 1,200 megawatt power stations in Syria. According to Syrian Energy Minister Muhammad al-Bashir, the gas supply will help areas impacted by violence meet their basic energy needs.
He claimed that by increasing generation by about 750 MW, the gas would enable an extra four hours of energy every day in those locations.
Al-Bashir added that the initial volume would be about 3.4 mcm per day, even though the deal calls for daily delivery of 6 mcm.
Source: Reuters
