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Brussels, |
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Diversification of gas supply sources and routes
Diversifying gas supply sources and routes remains a central pillar of EU energy security. The objective is to reduce dependence on any single external supplier and strengthen access to alternative sources, infrastructure and commercial arrangements for natural gas.
A key element of this strategy is the Southern Gas Corridor, a 3,500 km pipeline system carrying gas from the Shah Deniz field in the Caspian Sea to Europe. Operational since December 2020, it includes the South Caucasus Pipeline, the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) across Türkiye, and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) across Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea to Italy. Through the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), the corridor can also supply Bulgaria and the Balkan and Lower Danube region.
The gas supplies from Azerbaijan to the EU through the Southern Gas Corridor increased by more than 40% between 2021 and 2024. In this context, the EU is working with Azerbaijan under the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the field of energy, signed in Baku on 18 July 2022. The EU also supports infrastructure upgrades and related projects that can extend the reach of Caspian gas within the Union and the Western Balkans.
The Commission also presented a Diversification Initiative aimed at helping companies in South-East and Central Europe find viable and competitive alternatives to Russian gas. Although the share of Russian gas in the EU energy mix has fallen sharply, the remaining volumes are still seen as a risk for European customers and for companies with significant downstream operations or large retail and industrial client bases.
As a first step, the initiative seeks to assess the scale of the risk linked to possible further disruptions of Russian gas supplies in the EU and in candidate countries. Companies in the region are invited to communicate their gas needs in the short and long term. On that basis, the Commission intends to identify suitable global suppliers and bring together interested European buyers and international suppliers at a dedicated event. According to the Commission, significant interest and relevant data were collected by the end of 2025, and the event is being prepared for 2026.
Participation in the Diversification Initiative is voluntary and targeted at European buyers and users of natural gas, especially in South-East and Central Europe. The Commission asked participating governments to identify companies that may benefit, with particular attention to firms that had long-term contracts with Gazprom, companies with substantial downstream exposure, and companies with annual gas demand of at least 0.5 bcm.
Beyond the Southern Gas Corridor, the Commission also links diversification to the development of a Mediterranean gas hub, as well as to LNG terminals and interconnectors that improve access to global gas supplies across the Union.
A key element of this strategy is the Southern Gas Corridor, a 3,500 km pipeline system carrying gas from the Shah Deniz field in the Caspian Sea to Europe. Operational since December 2020, it includes the South Caucasus Pipeline, the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) across Türkiye, and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) across Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea to Italy. Through the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), the corridor can also supply Bulgaria and the Balkan and Lower Danube region.
The gas supplies from Azerbaijan to the EU through the Southern Gas Corridor increased by more than 40% between 2021 and 2024. In this context, the EU is working with Azerbaijan under the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the field of energy, signed in Baku on 18 July 2022. The EU also supports infrastructure upgrades and related projects that can extend the reach of Caspian gas within the Union and the Western Balkans.
The Commission also presented a Diversification Initiative aimed at helping companies in South-East and Central Europe find viable and competitive alternatives to Russian gas. Although the share of Russian gas in the EU energy mix has fallen sharply, the remaining volumes are still seen as a risk for European customers and for companies with significant downstream operations or large retail and industrial client bases.
As a first step, the initiative seeks to assess the scale of the risk linked to possible further disruptions of Russian gas supplies in the EU and in candidate countries. Companies in the region are invited to communicate their gas needs in the short and long term. On that basis, the Commission intends to identify suitable global suppliers and bring together interested European buyers and international suppliers at a dedicated event. According to the Commission, significant interest and relevant data were collected by the end of 2025, and the event is being prepared for 2026.
Participation in the Diversification Initiative is voluntary and targeted at European buyers and users of natural gas, especially in South-East and Central Europe. The Commission asked participating governments to identify companies that may benefit, with particular attention to firms that had long-term contracts with Gazprom, companies with substantial downstream exposure, and companies with annual gas demand of at least 0.5 bcm.
Beyond the Southern Gas Corridor, the Commission also links diversification to the development of a Mediterranean gas hub, as well as to LNG terminals and interconnectors that improve access to global gas supplies across the Union.
