Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 23
By Huseyn Hasanov– Trend:
Construction of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline is a unique project, Michael Napel, head of business development at Germany’s ILF Beratende Ingenieure GmbH company, said in an interview with Turkmenistan’s Nebit-Gaz newspaper.
The pipeline will be laid across the territory of four countries, which have their own landscape features, Napel said. In addition, the project is important both for Turkmenistan and the region as a whole, he noted.
The representative of the German company went on to add that the TAPI project will make a significant contribution to the strengthening of peace and stability in the region, provide new jobs, and this in turn will improve the standard of living in the countries participating in the project.
ILF Beratende Ingenieure GmbH has recently signed a contract with a consortium of TAPI Pipeline Company Limited. This agreement provides for the development of a package of preliminary project documentation, and rendering of services for the project management, as well as technical supervision over the Afghan section of TAPI.
It is also planned to develop a detailed construction of the gas pipeline and the technological design process in parallel with the release of tender documents for procurement of long-lead equipment within the framework of this contract.
The groundbreaking ceremony for TAPI’s Turkmen section was held Dec. 13, 2015. It is planned that the total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,814 kilometers. Some 214 kilometers will pass through the territory of Turkmenistan, 774 kilometers - Afghanistan, 826 kilometers - Pakistan. The project is expected to be completed in December 2019. Currently, Turkmenistan delivers gas to China and Iran.