Energy
EU and Azerbaijan Hold High-Level Energy Dialogue as Southern Gas Corridor Hits Record Supplies
March 9, 2026
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The European Union and Azerbaijan held the 12th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council simultaneously in Baku on March 3, 2026, bringing together representatives from 27 partner governments and 60 institutions and companies to advance cooperation across gas supply, renewable energy, and grid connectivity.
European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen and Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov issued a joint press statement affirming the strategic partnership's advancement across the full energy spectrum. Azerbaijan and SOCAR supplied 12.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to EU member states in 2025, an increase of 53.8% from 2021 levels, cementing the Southern Gas Corridor's role as the continent's primary non-Russian gas supply route. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline expanded its capacity by 12% at the start of 2026, enabling an additional 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas per year to reach EU markets.
The ministerial meeting also convened a high-level EU-Azerbaijan Green Connectivity Investment Roundtable, bringing together international financial institutions and EU companies to review renewable energy, grid modernization, and energy efficiency investment priorities. Jørgensen said the South Caucasus has "immense potential" for clean technology and infrastructure development and that European businesses are ready to contribute technology, investment, and expertise to realize that potential. According to the European Commission's energy directorate, the EU and Azerbaijan confirmed readiness to advance a global electrification agenda ahead of COP31 in Turkey.
Azerbaijan's renewable energy pipeline underpins the green dimension of the partnership. President Aliyev stated that 6 to 8 gigawatts of electricity from renewable sources are expected by 2032, with the surplus earmarked for export through four interconnectors at varying stages of development. ACWA Power's Khizi-Absheron Wind Power Plant, the latest addition to Azerbaijan's renewable portfolio at 240 megawatts, is expected to generate one billion kilowatt-hours annually and prevent over 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
For energy investors, the Baku ministerial meeting underscored that EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation is deepening in both directions — securing near-term gas supply and building longer-term clean electricity infrastructure. Trend.az reported that Azerbaijan ensures approximately 40% of Bulgaria's gas consumption, a figure illustrating the depth of energy dependence on Azerbaijani supply that has developed across Southeast European markets since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
