SOCAR’s young specialists win European Commission's grant contest

Baku. 27 February. REPORT.AZ/ Nowadays European Commission has granted total 444 mln EUR to 18 energy projects selected through competition among 149 projects of common interest (PCI) within frame of Connecting European Facility (CEF) program aimed at research, detailed design and construction works.

Report informs referring to SOCAR, the project “Excavations with the aim of archeological research and preservation of historical artefacts” in the territory of Greece, developed by 4 SOCAR specialists and provided by Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) consortium, which is the part of Southern Gas Corridor, is also among winners. 14 018 347 EUR have been allocated to this project.

SOCAR specialists played an exceptional role in obtaining this vital grant for TAP project, having developed high-level business plan and other necessary elements. They skillfully coped with development of grant enquiries, professional business plans for each volume of work, as well as working out cost and profit analyses, economic feasibility, economic modelling and other works”, the information says.

SOCAR specialists behind this achievement - head of SOCAR department for relations with investors Parviz Babayev (head of group), senior engineer of this department Kamran Huseynov, head of marketing and business development department Emil Gasimli and senior engineer of the department Ali Shahbazov closely cooperate with energy agencies of European Commission for 5 years and represent and promote TANAP project within frame of PCI program in Directorate-General for Energy of European Union, European Network of Transmission Systems Operators, Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulations and other agencies.

“This expert group of SOCAR in 2014-2016 years attracted above 10 mln EUR from European Union CEF fund for vital research works within TANAP project. Thus, total 24 346 087 mln EUR of grant have been attracted to TANAP and TAP projects as a result of professional work of our specialists. In such way they saved large amount of SOCAR funds. Especially, we have to note that allocation of such grants in Europe is not an easy process, as enquiries elaborated in line with proper directives and regulations of European Union are assessed by independent experts based on determined criteria, while selected short list passes through several review stages, and the final list is approved in European Commission by opinions of member states included in regional group of European Union”, SOCAR noted.

It was noted that this achievement of SOCAR’s young specialists is doubly remarkable for the company. Thus, 3 of them are graduates from SOCAR Foreign Scholarship Program. P.Babayev has got EMBA Degree in energy management from The Vienna University of Economics and Business, E.Gasimli has got his MBA Degree in management Louisiana State University, and Kamran Huseynov has got MBA degree on business management in Glasgow University of UK within SOCAR Foreign Scholarship Program. This means that Foreign Scholarship Program not only prepares high level specialists for SOCAR, but also brings significant financial income".