Strumica: Deliveries of Azerbaijani natural gas to private and industrial consumers in North Macedonia began on December 1, an informed source told Trend. The supplies were made possible through collaboration among the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), M-Gaz, and CNG Systems.
According to Trend News Agency, the initiative is a pilot expansion of a virtual gasification project initially implemented in Bulgaria in 2024. The project involves delivering compressed natural gas (CNG) to consumers not connected to a traditional gas pipeline or distribution network. SOCAR, in partnership with M-Gaz, provides the necessary volumes of natural gas to CNG Systems, which then distributes it to both industrial and private customers in Strumica. A dedicated gas distribution network has been established in the city to facilitate this supply of compressed natural gas.
The collaborative effort ensures that Azerbaijani natural gas now provides essential services, including heating and hot water, to several institutions in Strumica. These include six kindergartens, eight schools, one hospital, various municipal administrative buildings, over 400 households, and multiple industrial consumers.
Azerbaijan’s reach in the natural gas market has expanded, with 14 countries now purchasing its gas. The country’s natural gas is supplied to Europe through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, part of the Southern Gas Corridor. This pipeline currently has a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters per year, with plans to expand to 20 billion cubic meters. Following the 2021 Market Test for TAP, its capacity will grow by 1.2 bcm/a starting in 2026, with 1.04 bcm/a allocated for Italy and 0.16 bcm/a for Albania.