Italy's Mattei plans bet on Azerbaijani gas

Following Algeria and Libya, Meloni's government is betting on Azerbaijan's natural gas to advance the Piano Mattei plan. Last year, natural gas from Azerbaijan was about 10 billion cubic meters, an increase of 42% year-on-year, accounting for 14% of Italy's natural gas supply. At present, the Italian government is working hard to increase the capacity of the TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline) natural gas pipeline to a higher level. It will double to 20 billion cubic meters by 2027.

The European Commission also regards Azerbaijan as a "reliable partner". The expansion of the Tap pipeline is part of the EU's strategy to diversify gas supplies after the Ukraine crisis: In July 2022, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed in Baku on the expansion of the so-called " Memorandum of Understanding on the Southern Gas Corridor".

Tap is part of a pipeline that transports natural gas from Azerbaijan to Italy and has been operating since 2020. The pipeline starts near Kipoi on the Greek-Turkish border and passes through northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea until it reaches Melendugno in Puglia, where it connects to Italy's gas transmission network.