Azerbaijan plans to boost gas pipeline capacity due to rising demand for gas in Europe - Aliyev

BAKU. March 14 (Interfax) - Baku plans to enlarge the capacity of Azerbaijan's gas pipelines due to the growing demand for gas on European markets, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.

"Due to the growing demand in Europe for natural gas from new sources, we are planning to expand our pipeline capacity. Particularly, TANAP, which has a capacity of 16 bcm, we will expand up to 32 bcm, and TAP, which has a capacity of 10 bcm, will be expanded, we plan, up to 20 bcm," Aliyev said at a meeting with top managers of leading German companies in Berlin on Monday.

After the start of the Ukrainian conflict, Azerbaijan received requests from more than ten European countries asking it to supply gas or increase gas exports, he said.

"We are doing everything in order to satisfy the needs of our partners. We already have a pretty diversified geography of our gas supply," he said.

Less than a year ago, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Azerbaijan a reliable partner for Europe in the energy sector, Aliyev said.