Top energy ministry official: Greece ready to absorb another bln cubic meters of Azeri natgas annually in near future

A top Greek energy ministry official forecast that the east Mediterranean country will be able to annually absorb another one billion cubic meters of Azeri natural gas in the near future, speaking at a high-profile event in Baku on Friday.

In speaking during the 9th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council in the Azerbaijan capital, ministry secretary general for energy and mineral resources Alexandra Sdoukou first cited the significant role played by  Caspian Sea natural gas deposits, and especially Azerbaijan, in serving as an alternative supplier of the energy source, especially after the completion of the southern corridor’s Trans Adriatic Pipeline in 2020.

The latter runs across the breadth of northern Greece.

Sdoukou, who attended the event in place of Greek Energy Minister Costas Skrekas, also emphasized that Athens welcomes the future doubling of TAP’s capacity by another 10 billion cubic meters on a yearly basis, something that will also benefit other markets in southeast Europe.

As an example, she pointed to the Greece-North Macedonia inter-connector, which will soon enter in the final investment decision phase.