Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 9 /Trend A.Badalova/
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) signed a cooperation agreement with the Albanian Immovable Property Registration Office in Tirana, enables to establish, enhance and update cadastral data within TAP's pipeline corridor in Albania, TAP reported on Friday.
TAP requires information on land ownership in the proposed pipeline corridor and around planned pipeline compressor stations, so that TAP can start direct negotiations on TAP`s access to land along the pipeline with rightful owners.
The correct data on legal owners will allow TAP to conduct this process in a transparent and fair way, according to the requirements of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), TAP said.
According to the agreement, the Albanian Immovable Property Registration Office will give TAP access to the existing cadastral data (property ownership, boundaries, and usage).
TAP, in turn, will support establishing, updating and enhancing this data by collecting and providing information on property boundaries, ownership, rights and usage in areas which the pipeline will cross. TAP will use the technical requirements elaborated by the Albanian authorities in cooperation with the World Bank and the EBRD and will engage closely with all stakeholders during the data gathering process.
TAP's Country Manager in Albania Albert Haak said that the agreement is a big achievement because it enables TAP to start land access work in Albania.
It is extremely important to have correct data on the rightful owners and users of land, so that negotiations on easement and relevant compensation can be organized in a transparent and legal way, and so that the concerns of all stakeholders are fairly addressed," he said.
The TAP is a natural gas pipeline project intended to 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 section of TAP in Albania will be approximately 200 kilometres in length. It will extend from the Albanian-Greek border in the east to Fier in the west. The pipeline will cross 143 cadastral zones in Albania.
TAP's shareholders are EGL of Switzerland (42.5 percent), Norway's Statoil (42.5 percent) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15 percent).
Gas, which will be produced during the second stage of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development is considered as the main source for TAP project.
According to TAP's report, the project remains fully on schedule and aligned with the development of the second stage of Shah field, which is planned to come on stream at the end of 2017.