Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
More than 75 percent of pipes needed for the construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in Greece and Albania (around 580 kilometers out of 765 kilometers) are now in the ground (backfilling), TAP AG consortium said in a message.
“Fine soil is placed around the pipe in the trench to act as padding, protecting the pipeline,” said the consortium.
TAP project, worth 4.5 billion euros, 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.
Connecting with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Greek-Turkish border, TAP will cross Northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before coming ashore in Southern Italy to connect to the Italian natural gas network.
The project is currently in its construction phase, which started in 2016.
Once built, TAP will offer a direct and cost-effective transportation route opening up the vital Southern Gas Corridor, a 3,500-kilometer long gas value chain stretching from the Caspian Sea to Europe.
TAP shareholders include 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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