Berlin, Germany – In a significant move, the German state-owned gas importer, Sefe, has signed a contract with the state-owned oil company of Azerbaijan, Socar, to purchase natural gas in a large scale over the next decade. The agreement, announced on Tuesday, will see the first deliveries commence this year, with the annual volume gradually increasing to 15 terawatt-hours, equivalent to approximately 1.5 billion cubic meters.
This development will more than double Azerbaijan’s gas exports to Germany, which will now total around 3 billion cubic meters annually, in addition to existing deliveries to Uniper of a similar scale. The Azerbaijani Ambassador to Germany, Nasimi Aghayev, described the agreement as a “shining example of the depth and potential of our relations.” He added, “The contract underlines Azerbaijan’s role as a strategic energy partner for Germany and Europe, while deepening the excellent bilateral ties based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
Sefe, formerly known as Gazprom Germania, was a subsidiary of the Russian gas giant Gazprom until 2022. Following the outbreak of the Ukraine war, the company was initially placed under the trusteeship of the German Federal Network Agency and later nationalized. As one of the largest suppliers of industrial customers in Europe, with an annual sales volume of 200 terawatt-hours of gas and electricity, Sefe is a significant player in the European energy market.