BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 30. In the first 8
months of this year, approximately 700 million cubic meters of
natural gas were supplied from Azerbaijan to Greece.


This was reported by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy Parviz
Shahbazov on his “X” page.


“We discussed advancing our energy cooperation with Stavros
Papastavrou, Minister of Environment and Energy of Greece within
the 6th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in Athens. We
exchanged views on the role of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in
ensuring Europe’s,” the statement noted.


The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) plays an important role in the
export of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. Azerbaijani gas
produced at the Shah Deniz field and transported via TAP is
supplied to European markets through Greece, Albania, and
Italy.


According to Luca Schieppati, managing director of the TAP
consortium, starting October 1, the Nea Mesimvria interconnection
point in Greece will operate in a bidirectional mode.


He noted that this change will strengthen market integration and
increase the flexibility of the gas system. The two-way operation
will allow gas to both enter and exit the TAP system. Thus, gas
will be transported in both directions between TAP and the Greek
national gas transmission system.







Schieppati noted that in the nearly six years since the TAP
began commercial operations, it has proven its strategic importance
to Europe’s energy security. According to him, more than 62 billion
cubic meters of gas have been transported through the pipeline
during this period.


The managing director added that starting in 2026, TAP will
provide an additional annual capacity of 1.2 billion cubic meters
of gas in the long term.


Work is also underway to prepare TAP for a low-carbon future.
This includes the use of biomethane, blending hydrogen with natural
gas, electrification, and the implementation of carbon management
technologies.


TAP is the European segment of the Southern Gas Corridor. The
pipeline, approximately 878 kilometers long, connects to TANAP at
the Greek-Turkish border, passes through Greece and Albania,
crosses the Adriatic Sea, and comes ashore in southern Italy.


The initial capacity of TAP is approximately 10 billion cubic
meters per year. Subject to market demand and regulatory approval,
this capacity can be increased to 20 billion cubic meters per
year.