The US Secretary of State and Canadian government officials visited Cafe Ukraine in Ottawa
As Russia cuts off natural gas supplies to Europe, the European Union is scrambling to find alternative sources. It is counting on gas suppliers such as Azerbaijan to help fill the gap, but the EU plans to create a global key in helping Europe maintain its role of lights and heating in winter.
The European Union faces a large-scale task of replacing Russian gas. In 2021, Moscow provided about half of gas supplies to the continent.
Energy-rich Azerbaijan is one of the countries that can help compensate for the deficit, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during her July visit to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.
“That’s why the European Union decides to diversify Russia and establish more reliable partners that deserve trust. And I am glad to count Azerbaijan among them. You are truly a key energy partner for us and you have always been so reliable,” she said.
Baku has already increased supplies to Europe by about a third. The gas is supplied through the Tanap pipeline, which crosses Turkey to Greece, connecting to the European pipeline network.
As analyst Ilhan Uzgel from the Kisa Dalga news portal notes, this fact makes Turkey a player in Europe’s energy future.
“All pipelines pass through Turkey, and they connect to the European pipeline, in this sense it is a transit country. They are making plans for Turkey to become an energy center. We have been hearing this rhetoric for many years, but it is not being implemented,” Uzgel said.
An energy hub is a distribution center with storage and the ability to become an energy exchange, reproducing gas to different buyers.
The importance of Turkey as a transit country will grow. Turkmenistan’s vast gas reserves are also a significantly significant source of gas for Europe. This gas can be transported west through Azerbaijan and Turkey’s Tanap pipeline.
Energy expert and former Turkish ambassador to Qatar Mithat Rende said that Turkey is considering expansion projects for its pipelines.
One project could be to increase the capacity of Tanap, the southern gas corridor, and this could be implemented in less than two years. Another project could be the delivery of gas from northern Iraq, and we even need to build about 200 kilometers of pipeline, so it is a small problem, but we need the support of the federal government of Iraq,” Mithat said.
Europe is already rebuilding its gas infrastructure to accommodate changes in supply. Taking part in the opening ceremony of the pipeline between Greece and Bulgaria, von der Leyen emphasized the importance of such projects.
“This pipeline is a game-changer. It radically changes the rules of the game for Bulgaria and Europe’s energy security. And that means freedom. This means freedom from dependence on Russian gas,” she said.
The Greek-Bulgarian pipeline supplies Azerbaijani gas through Turkey.
While Europe is moving away from dependence on Russian gas, it is becoming increasingly dependent, at least in the medium term, on Turkey as a transit country for its energy. Some observers warn that this could create problems, given the EU’s strained relationship with Ankara.