South Caucasus Pipeline threatened by old conflict
A part of the natural gas supply coming to Europe originates in the Shah Deniz gas fields in the depths beneath the Caspian Sea. From there, a system of pipelines carry the gas over thousands of kilometers through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and into Greece. An integral part of this pipeline chain is the 692km-long South Caucassus Pipeline (SCP), which, after the latest stage of expansion (SCPX) transports 23 billion cubic meters of gas every year.
However, recent clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia around the Tavush region have raised concerns about the safety of the pipeline. On July 12th an incident of weapons fire and shelling was reported, leading to several soldiers being killed and wounded on both sides.
This incident highlights the need for a modern pipeline monitoring system, which would minimize the exposure of ground maintenance personnel to risk near areas of military activity. SuperVision Earth is developing a satellite-based monitoring solution exactly for this kind of situation.
