Iran Proposes to Transit Gas from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan
Iran is proposing to transit Turkmenistan and Azeri gas to Europe
“Our proposal is receiving Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan gas in Iran and transferring it to Europe through Turkey, as this route is the most economical way for transfer of gas to Europe,” commented Azizollah Ramezani, director of international affairs at National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), as quoted as by IRNA.
He has earlier said that Iran is stepping up cooperation with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan to find a route to export gas to Europe.
“The studies conducted by the European Parliament indicate that Iran has potential to export 25 to 30 bcm of gas a year to Europe,” said Ramezani.
The NIGC official said that plans to export gas from Turkmenistan via a Caspian Sea underwater gas pipeline to Europe via Azerbaijan would be expensive and unpractical.
The Iranian government has announced construction plans for four pipelines at a cost of $12 billion. Of the four planned natural gas pipelines, three will be designed for export and one is aimed at cutting gas imports.