Von der Leyen heads to Azerbaijan to secure new gas import deal

European fee president Ursula von der Leyen is assembly Azerbaijani officers in Baku on Monday, and is predicted to shut a deal to extend imports of pure gasoline to the EU.

The deal would assist the EU scale back its reliance on Russian vitality, and might additionally tackle considerations over gasoline provides after the Nord Stream 1 pipeline started scheduled upkeep final week.

Work on the pipline from Russia to Germany is because of proceed till the tip of this week, however the Russian International Ministry mentioned that the way forward for the pipeline was linked to sanctions in opposition to Moscow. 

In response to a doc seen by Reuters, the proposed deal between Baku and the EU would improve gasoline circulate into the bloc by the Southern Fuel Hall pipeline.

“The Sides aspire to assist bilateral commerce of pure gasoline, together with by exports to the European Union, by way of the Southern Fuel Hall, of no less than 20 billion cubic metres of gasoline yearly by 2027, in accordance with industrial viability and market demand,” the doc mentioned.

Final yr, the pipeline transported 8 billion cubic metres of gasoline into the EU.

The rise would require Azerbaijan to extend its home gasoline manufacturing.