Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.12
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Two olive trees infected by Xylella fastidiosa in Italy were cut down by TAP AG consortium, engaged in construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project, said a message from the consortium.
“The molecular analysis on the samples collected November 28, 2017 unfortunately detected the presence of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in one of the 16 monumental olive trees still present in the site of San Basilio and in an olive tree already transferred to the storage area of Masseria del Captain,” said the message.
Xylella fastidiosa is one of the most dangerous plant bacteria worldwide, causing a variety of diseases, with huge economic impact for agriculture, public gardens and the environment.
The bacterium has been detected in or isolated from more than 300 plant species worldwide, although not all of these plants are susceptible to disease and not all plant species are affected by all Xylella fastidiosa subspecies.
TAP has moved the first set of olive trees (210) in the micro-tunnel area in Italy. These trees were transported to a nursery where they are carefully stored and are being meticulously cared for until they can be replanted at the original site (once works have finished).
In the second stage, TAP will need to move and store a further 1878 olive trees that are along the pipeline’s 8km route - from the micro-tunnel exit to the Pipeline Receiving Terminal (PRT) - before replanting them at their original site, when works are finished.
TAP worth 4.5 billion euros is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.
The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south.
TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).
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