Baku, Azerbaijan, June 21
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
The consortium for construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) intends to award contracts for approximately forty operations in 2019, Luca Schieppati, TAP Managing Director, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
In the upcoming months, TAP will launch invitations to tender for several strategic contracts, such as the waste heat recovery unit in Kipoi, Greece, he said.
“We are working to complete the pre-qualification for the pressure reduction and metering station in Fier, which will facilitate a future connection for gas supplies into Albania – and the invitation to tender will be launched later in the year,” noted the managing director.
Additionally, he said that the procurement process in preparedness for commencement of TAP’s operations phase is well under way. A key objective for this year is ensuring the capability and readiness of all operations and maintenance providers, spares, tooling and equipment ahead of the safe introduction of hydrocarbons into the TAP pipeline and facilities, added Schieppati.
“In support of this objective, TAP intends to award contracts for approximately forty operations and maintenance scopes this year, including maintenance of the TAP pipeline and facilities in Italy, specialist maintenance of critical TAP equipment and the turbo compressors in Greece and Albania,” he said.
TAP project, worth 4.5 billion euros, is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union (EU). 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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