BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Deliveries of Azerbaijani natural gas to private and
industrial consumers in North Macedonia began on December 1, 2025,
marking a crucial milestone in strengthening Azerbaijan’s position
in the European energy market. Thanks to productive cooperation
between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), M-Gaz and CNG
Systems, a pilot virtual gasification project, similar to a project
successfully operating in Bulgaria since 2024, has been
implemented. The new initiative not only expands the geography of
Azerbaijani gas exports, but also contributes to the
diversification of energy sources for countries in the region and
strengthening their energy security.
The project in North Macedonia is implemented with deliveries of
compressed natural gas (CNG) to industrial and private consumers
not connected to a gas pipeline or distribution network. SOCAR,
through M-Gaz, provides the required volumes of natural gas to CNG
Systems, which then supplies industrial and private customers in
Strumica where the relevant gas distribution network has been
built.
Within the project, Azerbaijani natural gas now provides heating
and hot water to six kindergartens, eight schools, one hospital,
several municipal administrative buildings in Strumica, more than
400 households, and several industrial consumers.
Azerbaijan’s expansion in the European market continues with
other initiatives. On December 10, SOCAR and the Hungarian company
MVM ONEnergy signed an agreement to supply 800 million cubic meters
of natural gas to Hungary, which will take effect on January 1,
2026. SOCAR also began supplying gas to the German company SEFE
under a new 10-year contract, with the annual volume gradually
increasing to 15 terawatt-hours (TWh).
As President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
delivering press statements with President of the Slovak Republic Peter
Pellegrini, in Bratislava on December 8, noted, Azerbaijan’s rich
gas fields have enabled it to export natural gas to many countries
of the world today.
“The number of countries that purchase Azerbaijani gas has
already reached 14. We hold first place as an exporter of gas
through pipelines. As new gas fields are developed, we will obtain
additional resources, and it will naturally become possible to
supply Azerbaijani gas to both Slovakia and its neighboring
countries in even larger volumes.
Currently, our total gas exports amount to 25 billion cubic
meters, half of which is supplied to European countries. Today,
eight European Union member states help ensure their energy
security by purchasing Azerbaijani gas,” the head of state
said.
A key element of the European supply diversification strategy is
the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is part of the Southern
Gas Corridor (SGC). As noted by a representative of the European
Commission, TAP has provided a reliable strategic route for
delivering Azerbaijani gas over the past five years, reducing the
EU’s dependence on traditional routes exposed to political and
economic risks. Since the pipeline’s launch at the end of 2020,
around 52.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas have been
transported through it by November 2025. Long-term plans foresee an
increase in TAP’s capacity by 1.2 billion cubic meters per year
starting in 2026, with 1.04 billion cubic meters allocated to Italy
and 0.16 billion cubic meters to Albania.
In the long term, maintaining and expanding Azerbaijan’s gas
export volumes will be supported by new upstream projects,
including the development of the Absheron field, the exploitation
of ‘deep’ gas at Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, and the Umid-Babek field.
All of these initiatives lay the foundation for a sustainable
increase in gas supplies to European countries and further
strengthen Azerbaijan’s role as a reliable and strategically
important supplier.
The start of Azerbaijani gas deliveries to North Macedonia is a
clear example of the successful expansion of the country’s export
geography and the strengthening of Europe’s energy security.
Azerbaijan continues to diversify its routes and partners, ensuring
stable supplies to key EU countries and demonstrating the strategic
reliability of its resources. The implementation of such projects
confirms Azerbaijan’s leadership in the European energy market and
creates the preconditions for further growth in the country’s
export potential.