Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 8 / Trend A.Badalova /
Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) apponted Giampaolo Russo as TAP Italy's Country Manager. The appointment will be effective 15 October 2012, TAP reported on Monday.
Giampaolo began his career at the Bank of Italy where he held a number of positions with a strong financial focus. During almost 17 years at the Bank of Italy, Giampaolo worked as the coordinator of the Financial Subcommittee of the Committee for the Euro, later going on to take the position of Financial Attaché at the Italian Permanent Representation in the European Union in Brussels.
Giampaolo has held senior positions including working for ENEL, as Head of European and International Affairs, as well as joining Glaxo-SmithKline, where he was Director for Government Affairs. In 2007, Giampaolo joined Edison as Director for Public and Regulatory Affairs department, both at national and European level.
TAP project 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.
TAP's initial pipeline capacity will be 10 billion cubic metres per year, expandable to 20 billion cubic metres per year. TAP's shareholders are EGL of Switzerland (42.5 percent), Norway's Statoil (42.5 percent) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15 percent).
Earlier this year Shah Deniz consortium made TAP a priority route for export of Azerbaijani gas to Italy.
Currently, the Shah Deniz consortium considers two options to deliver its gas to Europe -TAP and Nabucco West. The final decision on a pipeline route will be made in 2013.