Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 23
By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:
Construction work for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has reached the highest elevation point of the project, around 2.1 km above sea level, on the Ostrovica mountain, the TAP AG consortium said in a message.
The Marta Pass connects the Korca and the Skrapari regions of Albania and is also the connection point between the west and the east segments of TAP, according to the message.
Construction work on this high-altitude section is one of the most complex technical endeavors of TAP, the consortium said in a message.
Nonetheless, despite transporting heavy machinery, equipment and steel pipes to over 2,100 meters above sea level, the work is progressing as per schedule, following the highest safety standards, the consortium added.
“This section is a major engineering challenge for the construction of a pipeline 1.2m in diameter, given the difficult mountainous terrain with steep slopes, and the considerable altitude,” James Cooper, deputy site representative of TAP in Korca, said. “Despite the difficult landscape, the project is progressing according to plan because we are committed to safety, we have properly trained our employees and we are using state-of-the-art technology. All these elements make our work easier and safer.”
TAP project, worth 4.5 billion euros, is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union (EU), and has already attracted 1.5 billion euros from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which approved the loan in early February 2018.
Connecting with the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas 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), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).
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