Romanian energy minister to visit Azerbaijan

Romanian energy minister Virgil-Daniel Popescu will visit Azerbaijan to take part in the upcoming Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council’s meeting in Baku in February, a diplomatic source told Trend.

“A large delegation from Romania, including heads of Romgaz and Transgaz will also attend the event,” noted the source.

The Southern Gas Corridor, which is comprised of Shah Deniz 2, the South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion, the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) became fully operational on December 31, 2020.

Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG confirmed on Dec. 31 the commencement of gas flows from Azerbaijan. The first gas has reached Greece and Bulgaria, via the Nea Mesimvria interconnection point with DESFA, as well as Italy, via the Melendugno interconnection point with SNAM Rete Gas (SRG).

TAP transports natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border in Kipoi, crosses Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.

The first meeting of the SGC Advisory Council was held on February 12, 2015, the second meeting – on February 29, 2016, the third meeting – on February 23, 2017, the fourth meeting – on February 15, 2018, the fifth meeting – on February 20, 2019, the sixth meeting was held on Feb.28, 2020 and the seventh meeting on Feb.11, 2021.