Construction of Turkish part of Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline to begin soon - minister

BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Construction of the Turkish part of the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline will begin in the near future, Trend reports via the Energy Ministry of Azerbaijan.

According to the ministry, this matter was noted during the meeting of the Energy Minister of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov and his Turkish counterpart Fateh Donmaz as part of the meeting of ministers of the Organization of Turkish States in Budapest.

During the meeting, the issues of gas transit through Türkiye, increasing the capacity of TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline) as part of the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor, new opportunities for cooperation between SOCAR, and BOTAŞ, TPAO (Turkish Petroleum Corporation) in the field of exploration and production of hydrocarbon deposits, and the implementation of the Igdir-Nakhchivan pipeline project were discussed.

In addition, large wind and solar energy projects to be implemented with investors in Nakhchivan were also mentioned.

"The steps to be taken in the direction of the export of most of this energy to Türkiye, as well as the supplies of green energy to Europe through the fraternal country, were discussed. Also, the importance of the signing of a relevant document between the two countries to implement new opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector was noted," said the statement.

Azerbaijan and Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding on the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline on December 15, 2020.

The project will be implemented by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Turkish BOTAŞ Petroleum Pipeline Corporation. Currently, Nakhchivan receives gas mainly through Iran. Azerbaijani gas supplies through Türkiye will help Nakhchivan meet its gas needs. The Turkish part of the pipeline from Igdir to Sadarak in Nakhchivan will be 85 kilometers long.