Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline

The Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline is an energy transmission line constructed between Turkey’s Iğdır Province and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Azerbaijan, to meet Nakhchivan’s natural gas needs, Autonomous. It was commissioned on 5 March 2025 during a ceremony held in Ankara.

(Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline – Anadolu Ajansı)

History

The foundation of the Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline was laid on 25 September 2023 in Nakhchivan by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. In his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, President Erdoğan stated that the pipeline would contribute to the energy security of Europe.

Following a construction period of approximately one and a half years, the pipeline was inaugurated on 5 March 2025 via a live broadcast from the Presidential Complex in Ankara. Both President Erdoğan and President Aliyev attended the inauguration ceremony.

(President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline Inauguration Ceremony at the Presidential Complex, 5 March 2025 – Anadolu Ajansı)

Technical Specifications

The Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline is approximately 85 kilometers long. It has a daily transmission capacity of 2 million cubic meters of natural gas and is designed to fully satisfy Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic’s annual demand of 500 million cubic meters of natural gas via Turkey. The pipeline’s operational lifespan is projected to be at least 30 years.

The pipeline’s starting point is the Iğdır Natural Gas Pipeline, which connects to the Eastern Anatolia Natural Gas Main Transmission Line in Turkey. Its endpoint is Nakhchivan.

Project Management

The project is linked to the Iğdır Natural Gas Pipeline, which branches off from Turkey’s Eastern Anatolia Natural Gas Main Transmission Line, activity. The operation of the pipeline is managed by the Pipeline and Petroleum Transportation Company (BOTAŞ) of Turkey. At the inauguration ceremony, the first gas flow was initiated by opening a valve at BOTAŞ’s Iğdır Dilucu Natural Gas Main Measurement Station, in the presence of the energy ministers of both countries.

(Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline Inauguration Ceremony, 5 March 2025 – Anadolu Ajansı)

Significance in Energy

The Iğdır-Nakhchivan Natural Gas Pipeline is the third major energy project implemented after the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC), Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE), and Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) projects between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. It is expected to support Azerbaijan’s goal of expanding the transport of its natural gas to Europe via Türkiye. As a continuation of energy cooperation, both countries have agreed to establish a natural gas transmission line between Nakhchivan and Türkiye. Türkiye and Azerbaijan have previously implemented large-scale energy projects including Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, and TANAP, like.

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, with a population of approximately 500,000, has no direct land connection to the main territory of Azerbaijan. For years, the region’s energy needs have been met through transit via neighboring countries. With the commissioning of the pipeline, Nakhchivan’s natural gas supply security is now ensured through Türkiye.