German energy giant Uniper continues to explore opportunities to expand gas imports from the Caspian region, strengthening its long-term partnership with Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, said Rashad Huseynli, head of Uniper’s Baku representative office.
Huseynli recalled that the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Ilham Aliyev paved the way to double Azerbaijan’s gas exports to Europe in the coming years.
“Uniper closely follows this process and maintains active contact with partners and market participants regarding possible additional gas deliveries from the Caspian region,” Huseynli told Report.
Stay Ahead with Azerbaijan.usGet exclusive translations, top stories, and analysis — straight to your inbox.
He noted that Uniper and SOCAR have maintained a decade-long cooperation based on “knowledge sharing and common strategic goals.”
At the ninth meeting of the SOCAR–Uniper Coordination Committee in Baku earlier this month, the two sides adopted a new 2025-2026 cooperation program, including technical exchanges, initiatives to promote women into leadership roles, and joint educational projects.
“These new formats complement our traditional gas-sector collaboration and demonstrate our shared commitment to Europe’s energy future,” Huseynli said.
Uniper currently purchases about 1.5 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani natural gas annually through the Southern Gas Corridor, with deliveries entering Europe via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
“The gas is received in Italy – Uniper became the first German company to import gas via TAP in 2020,” Huseynli explained. “Italy’s gas network is tightly linked with Europe’s broader infrastructure, so additional flows from Azerbaijan also enhance energy security for neighboring states.”
Thanks to long-term supply contracts, Uniper ensures that “a substantial share of these volumes is available to customers in Germany and across Europe on flexible terms,” he added.
The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, the final link of the Southern Gas Corridor, began commercial operation in November 2020, carrying Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea through Greece, Albania, and Italy.
Azerbaijan started gas exports to Europe on December 31, 2020. Under the EU-Azerbaijan agreement, volumes are expected to reach at least 16 billion cubic meters per year by 2027.
