Baku, Azerbaijan, May 19
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The United States has an enduring interest in supporting the energy security and energy diversification of Europe, said the US ambassador to Greece Geoffrey R. Pyatt during the Hellenic Association for Energy Economics (HAEE) Conference.
“The energy projects currently underway in Greece – like the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), and the expansion of Revithoussa – will bring significant quantities of non-Russian gas to Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, and other regional partners,” said Pyatt, according to the message of the US embassy in Greece.
The ambassador pointed out that TAP is the final link in the Southern Gas corridor and a key part of Southeast Europe’s energy security.
“It’s been very impressive for me to see the strong political support for TAP, across the [Greek] government, and especially when I travel in Northern Greece,” said Pyatt. “Everybody there is focused on the positive – on the job creation that TAP represents and on the potential to do even more.”
TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.
The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south.
TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn