Baku, Azerbaijan, June 14
By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:
The Azerbaijani state company SOCAR intends to prepare a feasibility study for the construction of the pipeline within the framework of the gas supply to Albania by the end of 2018, the Head of the Department of Relations with Investors of SOCAR Kamran Huseynov told Trend June 14.
The Head of the Department reminded that the Memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the development of the general plan for gasification of Albania was signed between Baku and Tirana in December 2014.
"SOCAR Balkans is a member of the Steering Committee of the stage of preliminary feasibility study of the general plan for gasification of Albania. The project of construction of the pipeline from the exit point of TAP in Fiere City of Albania to the thermal power plant in Vlora which is under construction is recognized as the first priority investment project in the framework of the plan," said Huseynov.
The head of the Department noted that, a preliminary feasibility study of the project is being developed by the German company IMPaC Offshore Engineering.
"The preliminary feasibility study should be completed by the end of June, and then on the basis of the results SOCAR will prepare its feasibility study. Depending on the results, we will be able to assess how the things will stack up. We intend to prepare our own feasibility study before the end of this year," Huseynov said.
The head of the Department noted that, SOCAR will also deal with the preliminary design (FEED) stage.
"The FEED will be closely coordinated with Albgaz. SOCAR also intends to consider potential projects in the energy sector of Albania, in coordination with several European energy companies," Huseynov said.
Albania is one of the European countries that will receive Azerbaijani gas within the "Southern Gas Corridor".
The "Southern Gas Corridor", the launch ceremony of the first stage of which was held on May 29 in Baku, is one of the priority projects for the EU and provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.
At the initial stage, the gas produced within the second phase of development of the Azerbaijani gas condensate field "Shah Deniz" is considered as the main source for the projects of the "Southern Gas Corridor". At a later stage, other sources may be connected to the project.
The gas in the second stage of development of the field will be exported to Turkey and European markets through the expansion of the South Caucasus gas pipeline and the construction of the Trans-Anatolian (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic (TAP) pipelines.
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