Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 15 /Trend, A.Badalova/
Azerbaijan and Switzerland discussed the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project, in which the Swiss company EGL is involved, the Embassy of Switzerland to the Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan reported on Tuesday.
The discussions over TAP project, which should enable the transportation of up to 10 billion cubic metres of gas annually from Azerbaijan to Europe by 2017, were held during the visit of Swiss delegation led by Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard to Baku. The delegation consisted of representatives from the fields of business and science.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline will transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into Western Europe. The project is aimed at enhancing security of supply as well as diversification of gas supplies for the European markets. The total length of the pipeline is about 800 kilometers.
The initial pipeline capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters per year. TAP's shareholders are EGL of Switzerland (42.5%), Norway's Statoil (42.5%) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15%).
On Oct. 1, TAP along with the other pipeline projects (Nabucco, ITGI) submitted their final proposals to the Azerbaijani side, which review them in accordance with previously announced criteria.
During the visit Switzerland and Azerbaijan examined ways of further intensifying the cooperation in the shape of specific energy projects.
The possibilities for cooperation including the use of Swiss know-how in the area of renewable energies and energy efficiency were also discussed. In this context, the head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) visited the National Science Academy in the company of Professor Gian-Luca Bona, Director of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa) and Professor Joël Mesot, Director of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI).
In October 2007 Switzerland and Azerbaijan signed the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of energy. One of the main aims of this Memorandum of Understanding is to make it easier for private companies to cooperate and invest in the energy sectors of both countries.