BAKU, Azerbaijan,
March 3. North Macedonia aims to balance
electricity production with gas supplies from Azerbaijan, Goran
Nikolovski, Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources of
North Macedonia, told Trend on the sidelines of the 12th meeting of the
Ministers of the Advisory Council on the Southern Gas Corridor and
the 4th meeting of the Ministers of the Advisory Council on Green
Energy in Baku.
“As part of our long-term strategy, we plan to secure gas
supplies from Azerbaijan. The goal is to use this gas in our
coordination plans,” he explained.
According to him, this will allow meeting base and peak loads as
well as ensure the flexibility of renewable energy sources.
“Our country has about two gigawatts of renewable energy
capacity. We aim to balance electricity production through gas
supplies from Azerbaijan. This balancing is especially important at
night and during periods of low production.
As for expanding cooperation in this area, some progress has
been made so far. Working groups have been established with
relevant Azerbaijani agencies, and it is intended to further
increase cooperation between the two ministries through this
mechanism,” he said.
On the matter of signing new documents, the minister pointed out
that a pertinent memorandum was inked between the two countries
back in December 2024.
“In the coming period, after the completion of gas projects in
our country, a new memorandum is planned to be signed. On the basis
of that document, a broader cooperation agreement is planned to be
concluded.
We have high expectations for this conference. We expect new
members to join this meeting at the ministerial level. There are
sufficient natural gas reserves, especially in the southeastern
part of Europe. In this regard, we see the initiative as a real
opportunity to diversify the sources of gas supplies to Europe. At
the same time, this process can contribute to strengthening
Europe’s energy security,” the minister added.
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