Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 3
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the construction of which is planned to start in 2016, has entered the procurement phase. In April 2014, TAP decided to re-launch its procurement process and new pre-qualifications for goods and services were initiated.
The procurement of goods and services for the construction of the pipeline will be done in a phased approach, dependent on the project's progress and in line with the schedule set by the Shah Deniz 2 upstream development, according to the TAP's report on its official website.
"TAP's schedule is in full alignment with the upstream developments," TAP said in its report.
Overall, TAP's procurement will follow a two-step process: the selection phase and the contract award phase, the source in TAP told Trend.
During the selection phase, TAP will run the so-called 'pre-qualifications' aimed at identifying contractors with the required skills, capacity, experience and capabilities to deliver the goods and services TAP is seeking to procure, according to the source. So far TAP has announced five pre-qualifications.
The TAP project was selected by the consortium of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field development as the transportation route to the European markets.
The pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) near the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in southern Italy. The first gas sales to Georgia and Turkey are targeted for late 2018, first deliveries to Europe will follow approximately a year later.
The initial capacity of the pipeline will be 10 billion cubic meters per year, but it can easily be expanded to 20 billion cubic meters per year. TAP's shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Statoil (20 percent), Fluxys (16 percent), Total (10 percent), E.ON (9 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).