BERLIN (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova — The construction of the Southern Gas Corridor, that would deliver Azerbaijani natural gas to the European Union via Georgia and Turkey, is going ahead of schedule, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natig Aliyev told Sputnik Wednesday.
Azerbaijan is currently building the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, running across Turkey, that will connect the already existing South Caucasus Pipeline with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, running up to the Italian border.
"The works will be completed in 2019. Our goal is to deliver extra 6 billion cubic meters [of gas] to Turkey and the following year, in 2020, to deliver 10 billion to Europe," Aliyev said.
The European Union is looking to diversify its energy imports and diminish its reliance on Russian gas, which currently accounts for about one third of Europe's overall consumption.
Russia is planning to construct a new pipeline, dubbed the Turkish Stream, to deliver gas to Europe via Turkish territory.
