Published in 2023. According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
a strategic partnership in the field of energy between the European
Commission and Azerbaijan, the latter will double its current supply of
natural gas to Europe until 2027.
That being said, does Azerbaijan have the capacity to produce and transport this increased volume – and what role will cooperation with Azerbaijan play in reducing EU gas dependence on Russia? In this paper, the authors explore the country’s energy production and transport capacity, assess its potential, and define future challenges.
The indications in the paper show that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2022 between the EU and Azerbaijan could not be met, and to meet the expectations from the EU, gas needs to be imported from abroad.
“Indeed, the only viable way for the country to fulfil its obligations to Europe by 2027 would be to purchase additional gas from Russia and Turkmenistan. This would be entirely counterproductive given the political rationale of the EU-Azerbaijan energy memorandum.”