The European Union and Azerbaijan have agreed to increase natural gas imports from that country

To help replace Russian fossil fuels, the European Union has agreed to quadruple the amount of natural gas it buys from Azerbaijan.

The Southern Gas Corridor, a system of pipelines linking the Caspian Sea with Europe, will have a 12 billion cubic meter capacity expansion to improve supply.

According to a remark by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, it will reach 20 billion cubic meters in a few years. The deal also intends to utilize Azerbaijan’s potential for offshore wind and environmentally friendly hydrogen in line with the European Green Agreement.

Azerbaijan will go from being a partner in renewable energy to a supplier of fossil fuels. To secure fresh gas supply, the EU is pressed for time.

There are growing concerns that if Nord Stream does not restart full supplies after maintenance, there may be a shortfall. Gazprom supplies to the block have already been reduced.