Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 29
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Ankara is realizing energy projects within its national interests, said the Energy and Natural Resources Minister of Turkey Taner Yildiz, the Anadolu news agency reported Jan. 29.
Hew said currently Turkey is implementing a number of energy projects with the US, Iran and Russia. He also said that the energy projects that Turkey is implementing with Azerbaijan have a special status.
"The start of realization of new energy projects doesn't mean that Ankara waives other projects and that the new projects will be alternatives to other projects," the minister said.
Yildiz said on Jan. 28 that a healthy competition began between the "Turkish stream" gas pipeline and the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) after determining a route for the "Turkish flow".
He said it is planned that the first line of the "Turkish stream", which is to have a pumping capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year, will run to Turkey in December 2016.
Previously, Yildiz said the "Turkish stream" will not be a rival for TANAP.
The TANAP project envisages the transportation of gas of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field from the Georgian-Turkish border to the western borders of Turkey. TANAP's initial capacity is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Around six billion cubic meters will be delivered to Turkey and the rest of the volume to Europe. Turkey will obtain gas in 2018. The gas will be supplied to Europe in early 2020 after the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is constructed. The project's cost is estimated at $10-$11 billion.
Contracts for the supply of pipes for the construction of TANAP were signed in Turkey's Ankara on Oct.14 with six Turkish and one Chinese company.
Turkey's Mannesmann-Noksel-Erciyas and Umran-Emek consortiums, and the company Toscelik Profil ve Sac Endustrisi, as well as the Chinese contractor Baosteel Europe won the tender for the supply of pipes for the TANAP project.
All the companies that will participate in the construction and supply of the TANAP project in Turkey are exempt from the VAT.
Edited by SI