Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.2
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project, which envisages transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe, is 79 percent complete, Lisa Givert, TAP Head of Communications, told Trend.
“The Trans Adriatic Pipeline is on schedule. In terms of overall project progress, we are 79 percent complete – including all engineering, procurement and construction scope (as of the end of August 2018),” she said.
As for the project’s progress in Italy, Givert noted that in line with the Single Authorization permit granted by the Italian Ministry of Economy on 20 May 2015, TAP continues to progress its secondary permitting activities.
“The Verifications of Compliance (VoCs) for micro-tunnel drilling, on-shore pipeline installation and the construction of the Pipeline Receiving Terminal have been assessed and approved. The assessment of VoCs for the offshore pipeline installation will follow,” she added.
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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