EU eyes more Azeri gas amid high bills and tight Russian supplies

Pump jacks are silhouetted in opposition to the rising solar at an oilfield in Baku, January 24, 2013. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

BAKU, Feb 4 (Reuters) – The European Union is searching for extra pure fuel from Azerbaijan, an EU official mentioned on Friday, as Europe grapples with excessive vitality payments and tight deliveries from Russia, its major provider of gas, which has been at loggerheads with the West over Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Azerbaijan’s potential to supply and export extra gas is proscribed.

European Union Vitality Commissioner Kadri Simson has travelled to energy-rich Azerbaijan amid Europe’s efforts to safe fuel from numerous sources aside from Russia and draw up contingency plans in case of disruptions to fuel provide.

Escalating tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine have raised considerations about Russian fuel flows to Europe, prompting the European Fee and the US to research options. learn extra

Simson informed a information briefing within the Azeri capital of Baku, that the EU is hoping for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) to spice up fuel exports to Europe from Azerbaijan.

She mentioned the EU hoped for TAP to extend its exporting capability to 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) per yr from round 8 bcm now.

TAP transported greater than 8.1 billion cubic metres of fuel from Azerbaijan into Europe final yr, of which 6.8 bcm whole had been carried into Italy.

It’s the remaining leg of a $40 billion mission named the Southern Fuel Hall.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev mentioned on Friday the nation exported 19 bcm of fuel final yr, together with 8.5 bcm to Turkey. The remainder was shipped to Italy, Georgia, Greece and Bulgaria.

Reporting by Nailia Bagirova; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Modifying by Edmund Blair and Louise Heavens

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