Azerbaijan, Baku, July 20 / Trend A. Badalova /
Italy's biggest power producer Enel is interested in a 10-20 percent stake in Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), Reuters reported with the reference to the industry source close to TAP.
"Enel has shown an interest in buying a 10-20 percent share of TAP. An expression of interest from Enel could come out in autumn when an interministerial agreement between Italy, Greece and Albania is supposed to be signed on TAP," the source said.
An Enel spokeswoman confirmed the group's interest in joining the project but declined to comment on the size of a stake.
TAP is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into Western Europe. Gas to be produced during the second phase of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development is considered as the main source for TAP.
In February Shah Deniz Consortium announced TAP a priority route for export of the Azerbaijani gas to Italy.
The current shareholders of TAP project are EGL of Switzerland (42.5 percent), Norway's Statoil (42.5 percent) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15 percent).
Earlier TAP official told Trend that the project welcomes any new shareholder, including Greek and Italian companies, that can bring added value to the project and further strengthen the Shah Deniz decision to select TAP as the pipeline to bring gas through Greece and Albania to Italy.