Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary have agreed to prepare the technical-economic feasibility studies of the AGRI project by April 1, 2012.
The AGRI (Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector) project envisages the supply of natural gas from Azerbaijan via Georgia to Romania and onwards to other parts of Europe.
AS known, the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the supply and transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been signed earlier.
Heads of relevant structures of the countries agreed on the issue at the meeting in Bucharest on February 14.
According to the technical specifications, the Project capacity will probably start at 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year and increase to 8bn.
As part of the project, LNG terminals will be built at the Georgian port of Kulevi and Romanian port of Constanta. Azerbaijani gas will be transported to Kulevi, where it will be converted into LNG and shipped by tanker to Constanta. From Constanta, it will be distributed via the existing infrastructure in Romania and other European countries.
In future, the construction of separate pipelines from Constanta to Bulgaria and Hungary is envisaged.
The MoU was signed in the Romanian capital Bucharest on April 13 by the energy ministers of Romania, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Under the agreement, a liquefaction terminal with a capacity of 7bn cubic meters (bcm) will be constructed in the Georgian port of Kulevi, to the north of Poti. A re-gasification terminal will be constructed in the Romanian port city of Constanţa to receive gas supplied through Georgia. Romania`s gas allocation is expected to be 2bcm, with the remaining 5bcm supplied to other European countries through Romania`s pipeline network.

AzerTAc