Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan meets with officials of the US Department of State

Energy Parviz Shahbazov, who is on a visit to Washington, met with Rick Duke, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Office of the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate at US Department of State and Geoffrey Pyatt, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources at US Department of State.

At a meeting with Rick Duke, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Office of the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, during the chairmanship of the COP29, issues on Azerbaijan's course to accelerate the green energy transition, national-level contributions, and cooperation with the United States on the green energy corridor were discussed.

It was noted that in order to achieve the green development of Azerbaijan, a new legislative framework has been created in the energy sector in a short time, 8 industrial-scale power plants will be commissioned by 2027 to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity and decarbonize oil and gas operations, including the Sangachal Terminal. It was also noted that the green energy corridor covering Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary was implemented to export green electricity and green gas based on the 157 GW wind energy potential of the Caspian Sea.  The cooperation opportunities with the United States on this energy corridor were reviewed. In addition, SOCAR's accession to the Charter of Decarbonization of Oil and Gas (OGDC), the goals of reducing gas flaring to zero and achieving zero methane were assessed as an indicator of our country's commitment to measures to combat climate change.

During the meeting with Geoffrey Pyatt, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources at US Department of State, the main topic of discussion was the development of infrastructures diversifying energy supplies, such as the Southern Gas Corridor, in the context of modern energy security challenges. It was noted that Azerbaijan currently supplies gas to 8 countries, and additional gas supplies, along with the Southern Gas Corridor, require increasing the transmission capacity of the Ring of Solidarity. As in the first phase of the Southern Gas Corridor, it was agreed to cooperate in the direction of US support for the expansion process.