Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
The Trans Anatolian gas pipeline project (TANAP) is important for Turkey, the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said, TRT Haber TV channel reported Sept. 18.
He said TANAP will contribute to the development of Turkey's economy, as well as solving the gas shortage problem.
He said that, along with TANAP, Turkey also appreciates the project on starting the expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum), which will mark the beginning of the Southern Gas Corridor project.
"On September 20, I will again pay a visit to Baku, which will host the ceremony of launching the project on expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline," said the minister.
The TANAP project envisages transporting gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field through Turkey up to the country's border with Europe.
The pipeline's initial capacity is expected to be 16 billion cubic meters per year.
About 6 billion cubic meters of gas will be delivered to Turkey and the rest to Europe. The pipeline's capacity can be further expanded to 31 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
It is planned to commission the TANAP in 2018. The project's cost is estimated at $10 billion to $11 billion.
Edited by CN