IEA: Increase of gas transportation to Europe planned at expense of Azerbaijan

In 2023, the export of gas to Europe by alternative gas suppliers will increase thanks to Azerbaijan, Report informs, citing International Energy Agency (IEA).

Thus, natural gas production is expected to increase by just 1 bcm from 121 bcm in 2022 to 122 bcm in 2023:

"Hence, Norwegian piped gas flows to the European Union are expected to remain broadly flat. Similarly to Norway, Azeri gas deliveries via the TAP pipeline were close to nameplate capacity in 2022 and are expected to increase by less than 1 bcm in 2023. In the case of Algeria, some limited upside is expected with the development of gas fields in the Berkine South basin."

According to IEA, Russian piped gas deliveries to the European Union will decline by around 35 bcm in 2023 to just 25 bcm. This is assuming natural gas flows via TurkStream and Ukraine will continue at the average flow rates observed in December 2022.

Since the start of its operation on December 31, 2020, 18.5 billion cubic meters of gas have been transported through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, of which almost 16 billion cubic meters were transported only to Italy. In 2022, 3 billion cubic meters more gas were supplied to Italy. Thus, Azerbaijan satisfies more than 14% of Italy's needs in natural gas.

The construction of the TAP was completed in October 2020. The total length of TAP is 878 km, of which 550 km pass through the northern part of Greece, 215 km through the territory of Albania, 105 km along the bottom of the Adriatic Sea and 8 km through the territory of Italy. Azerbaijani gas supplies to consumers in Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria through TAP began on December 31, 2020.