Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov held several meetings in Qatar

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov held several meetings within the events of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha.

At the meeting with GECF Secretary General Mohamed Hamel, the current trends in the global gas market, the current state and possible cooperation opportunities between Azerbaijan and GECF were reviewed. The Minister of Energy said that Azerbaijan has implemented one of the largest projects of the 21st century-the Southern Gas Corridor. Azerbijan entered the European market by means of this corridor and won the trust of consumers. Touching upon the possible expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor, the Minister spoke about necessary steps in this regard and Azerbaijan’s gas reserves. It was noted that nearly 160 bcm of gas was produced from Shah-Deniz field so far, which is the main source of this corridor and reserves of this field is more than 1 trillion cubic meters. Taking into account the proven and projected reserves, there are great opportunities for the development of Azerbaijan as a gas country. Our country is ready to continue its efforts to ensure regional and global energy security, as well as to continue cooperation and dialogue with the Forum.

Secretary General Mohamed Hamel said that natural gas will play a crucial role in the process of energy transition in the coming decades. Natural gas provides solutions to issues related to energy poverty, energy security and the environment. In this regard, the importance of cooperation providing support to the gas sector was emphasized within the Forum. The Secretary General of GECF noted that the role of Azerbaijan in the sustainability of gas supply and noted that our country is one of the important participants of the forum. He also highly appreciated the contribution of the President of Azerbaijan to the process of establishing the OPEC plus format.

The Minister met with Khalid Mohammed Jolo, Chief Executive Officer of Nebras Power too. During the meeting, issues of cooperation on the construction of a gas turbine with a capacity of up to 550 MW, as well as 100 MW wind power plants in Lachin and Kalbajar regions were discussed. The sides also exchanged views on renewable energy projects envisaged in the liberated territories and plans related to the realization of wind energy potential in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. It was noted that our joint plans with Nebras Power create opportunities for the development of our energy cooperation with Qatar and attracting investments in the energy sector.