By Nika CHITADZE, PhD, Director of the Center for International Studies, Tbilisi

The third decade of the 21st century, along with other global events and changes, is remarkable in terms of energy. The global cataclysms and the ongoing war on the European continent have particularly highlighted the political and ecological importance of energy. Despite the vital challenges, Europe is firmly committed to the policy of the Green Energy Agreement and the way to combat climate change.
The reduction of fossil fuels was already a priority of the environmental policy, which was not only changed after the start of the war by Russia but also the sanctions introduced against the aggressor were added. Sanctions mostly apply to energy carriers, which Russia has been using as political leverage for many years. The created situation showed us that Europe needs reliable corridors for the import of the same products along with the production of green energy. This situation opens completely new opportunities for several countries, among which Georgia occupies a key place – Georgia, which is an important link of the middle corridor. READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 16.02.2023  |  Energy
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By Fuad SHAHBAZOV, Baku-based independent regional security and defence analyst

Russian military aggression against Ukraine launched almost two months ago has clearly signalled a change in the traditional world order and triggered the unprecedented reaction of the Western coalition led by the U.S. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has left the global energy market uncertain, threatening to cause severe energy shortages and oil prices exceeding $110 per barrel.
Since the Russian intervention in Ukraine kicked off, numerous sanctions packages have been imposed on Russia, hitting mostly financial institutes and state-owned companies. This resulted in Western countries’ consolidation, and the collective refusal of Russia-related transactions and import of Russian natural gas, oil, and coal. READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 12.05.2022  |  Energy
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By Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Kingdom of Belgium

“Global climate change is one of the most serious challenges of our times. It is also becoming a significant obstacle to sustainable development”, - said Marat Aitov, Head of department of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan in an analytical note “Can Uzbekistan adapt to the Consequences of Global Climate Change?”, reports “Dunyo” IA correspondent. Rising global temperatures contribute to destructive extreme weather events around the world, such as sweltering heatwaves, droughts, fires, hurricanes, torrential rains, and floods.
According to the UN, over the past 5 years the average global temperature has been among the highest in the entire history of observations. World Bank projects that by 2050 216 million people in six regions will become climate refugees, including 5 million people in Central Asia. READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 25.10.2021  |  Energy
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Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Kingdom of Belgium

On 29 January 2021 the Brussels-based media outlet EU Today and the Brussels Press Club in Brussels hosted a conference dedicated to the construction of nuclear power plants in Belarus, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Despite the fact that plans for the construction of new power units are being considered at various stages both in the EU member states-Finland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and in the UK, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, etc., the discussion was focused on these countries. Much attention at the conference was paid to the construction of nuclear power plants in Uzbekistan. READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 03.03.2021  |  Energy
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By Jack Sharples, PhD, Research Fellow of the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies and EGF Associate Researcher on the External Dimensions of Russian Gas

Gazprom Export launched its Electronic Sales Platform (ESP) in the context of an increasingly competitive European market. Sales volumes have grown, and have averaged 2 bcm per month since April 2019. As a result of this growth, the ESP is now a key part of Gazprom’s European sales strategy: It generates additional sales revenues, optimises Gazprom’s use of is physical export infrastructure, and provides a constant flow of valuable market data that informs Gazprom’s wider sales strategy. Sales are largely concentrated in four countries, while deliveries are split between Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian routes. ESP sales prices closely track European hub prices for comparable products, and the sales volumes show that Gazprom’s counterparties consider the ESP an attractive offering. The operation of the ESP highlights the crucial element of Gazprom’s European sales strategy: The importance of nuanced optimisation, as Gazprom seeks to maximise its sales volumes without placing excessive downward pressure on European hub prices that would impact revenues from its hub-indexed LTC portfolio. Overall, the ESP demonstrates how far Gazprom has evolved in the past decade, as it seeks to retain market share on an increasingly competitive European market. READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 22.12.2020  |  Energy
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By Jack Sharples, Research Fellow of the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies and EGF Associate Researcher on the External Dimensions of Russian Gas


Dear Colleagues,

It is with great pride that we send you this 100th edition of the Gazprom Monitor.

The Gazprom Monitor was the brainchild of Dr Marat Terterov, Founder of the European Geopolitical Forum and the Brussels Energy Club. The first issue of the Gazprom Monitor was published in December 2010. […] Since that first edition, almost nine years ago, we have seen the launch of Nord Stream, the replacement of South Stream and Nabucco by the Turkish Stream and TANAP-TAP pipelines, a dramatic increase in the use of hub-indexation in place of oil-indexation in Gazprom’s long-term export contracts, the conduct and settlement of the EU antimonopoly investigation into Gazprom, the launch of Gazprom’s own Electronic Sales Platform, the completion of Gazprom’s acquisition of the Belarusian gas pipeline system, the long-running sagas of the Gazprom-Naftogaz and Gazprom-Lithuania arbitration cases, the cessation of direct Ukrainian gas imports from Russia, the sale of Gazprom’s shares in pipelines in the Baltic states, the launch of new LNG import terminals in the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, and France, opening the door to competing LNG from around the world including, most recently, from the United States, and the volume of Gazprom’s annual gas exports to Europe growing to record levels in 2017 and 2018.READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 30.10.2019  |  Energy
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By Fuad Shahbazov, Baku-based independent regional security and defence analyst

On October 3, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid an official visit to Russia to attend the 16^th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, in Sochi (President.az, October 3). Aliyev’s speech at the high-level event touched on multiple topics, including Azerbaijan’s partnership with Russia, the unresolved issue of Karabakh, and regional security in the South Caucasus region, to name a few. Notably, during his remarks, Aliyev declared, “Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan—exclamation point!” which sparked heated discussions in both Azerbaijani and Armenian mass media and online (Turan Agency, October 4). READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 28.10.2019  |  Energy
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By Greta K. Wagner, Student, University of Glasgow, Intern, The European Geopolitical Forum

The Black Sea is often described as a strategic crossroads, which links east-west and north-south transport corridors. Particularly with regard to hydrocarbon resources, the Black Sea serves as a transit route between suppliers in Russia, the Caspian region, Central Asia and the Middle East and consumers in the European Union. Given its strategic importance, the Black Sea is an important puzzle piece for Russia’s “energy superpower” strategy. READ MORE.

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 13.06.2019  |  Energy
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By Fuad Shahbazov, Baku-based independent regional security and defence analyst

On May 29, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev officially inaugurated the first phase of the long-awaited flagship project Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), through which Caspian natural gas from the Shah-Deniz II field will be transported to Europe. The new project consists of several pipeline networks that pass through Georgia and Turkey (via the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline, TANAP) and further through Greece, Albania and Italy (via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, TAP). As Shah Deniz Stage 2 is implemented, gas production will increase from 9 to 25 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year. READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 03.07.2018  |  Energy
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By Benyamin Poghosyan, PhD, Executive Director, Political Science Association of Armenia

On June 12, the official launch ceremony of the TANAP pipeline was held in Turkey. TANAP is the key component of the Southern Gas Corridor, which should bring Azerbaijani gas to Europe, circumventing Russia. At the initial stage, annually 6 billion cubic meters of gas will be supplied to Turkey and another 10 billion through South Eastern Europe mainly to Italy. In later stages, the volume may be increased due to additional gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field, or potentially involving other gas sources such as Iraq and Turkmenistan. READ MORE

• EGF Editor  |  Published on EGF: 27.06.2018  |  Energy
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