Albania is set to emerge as a significant natural gas consumer, as Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR prepares to supply gas to the city of Korca. This initiative signals a shift in Albania’s role from merely a transit country to an active end user within the regional gas system. The planned gasification will cover Korca’s entire distribution network, with priority given to local enterprises and industrial consumers. Authorities consider the project a key part of Albania’s energy transformation, aimed at driving economic growth and improving energy efficiency.
The initiative builds on the ongoing cooperation between Albania and Azerbaijan through the Southern Gas Corridor. So far, more than 45 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas have reached European markets via Albanian territory. With the Korca project, Albania is expected to enhance its transit function while simultaneously developing domestic gas demand and consumption infrastructure. Officials emphasized that expanding gas distribution networks in European countries is central to Azerbaijan’s long-term export strategy, with Albania considered a strategically important partner. The opening of a SOCAR Gas office in Albania further underscores the company’s commitment to the local market.
The institutional groundwork for Albania’s gasification was established last year, when the Albanian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, state-owned Albgaz, and SOCAR signed a memorandum of understanding during the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan. Korca is set to be the first urban hub in the rollout. Subsequent phases will expand the gas network to Pogradec and Erseke, with the national gasification program planned through 2030. By the end of the decade, the goal is to provide gas access to most Albanian cities with significant industrial activity or business demand.
