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10 August 2016

By Maksim Tsurkov, Rufiz Hafizoglu and Elena Kosolapova – Trend

Under the Energy Union strategy, the EU is committed to diversification of gas sources, counterparties and routes, aiming to reduce overdependence on a single dominant supplier or route, an informed source in the European Commission told Trend Aug. 10.

The comment came with regard to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s proposal to connect the Russia-developed Turkish Stream pipeline to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which will start delivering Azerbaijani gas to Europe in 2020.

The European Commission aims at creating more interconnected and competitive gas markets in Europe in order to achieve this objective, with such initiatives as, particularly, the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), said the source.

“As regards timing of the Southern Gas Corridor project, we support the timely development of the SGC, which should ensure the flow of gas from the Caspian region to the EU by 2020,” added the source.

The source said also that the European Commission is familiar with the statements of the Russian and Turkish sides after their meeting in St. Petersburg on Aug. 9, but it doesn't have any particular comment to make as regards the Turkish Stream as such.

“Infrastructure that spans over to the EU – as any other pipeline in the EU – will have to fully respect the EU law,” noted the source.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish media Aug. 10 that Ankara will buy only 16 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year via the Turkish Stream. The remaining volume of Russian gas can be exported through Turkey via TANAP by connecting it to the Turkish Stream.

In a comment to Trend, Turkish Foreign Ministry said they aren’t ready to talk about the details of Cavusoglu’s statement.

TANAP Consortium, in turn, told Trend that they are familiar with Turkish foreign minister’s statement, but don’t have precise information.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Energy Ministry expressed readiness to clarify their position on the issue, adding that currently they don’t have detailed information.

TANAP project, worth $9.2 billion, envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to the western borders of Turkey. The gas will be delivered to Turkey in 2018, and after completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline’s construction, the gas will be delivered to Europe in early 2020.

TANAP shareholders are Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR (58 percent), BOTAS (30 percent) and BP (12 percent).