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TAP almost ready for delivery of first gas in 2020

Oil&Gas Materials 28 August 2019 10:37 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.28

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is almost ready for delivery of the first gas next year, Luca Schieppati, TAP Managing Director said, Trend reports with reference to the TAP AG consortium.

"On the technical side, we are focused on completing the onshore section before entering the pre-operation and operational phases. At the same time, the company is preparing to manage commercial operations as a transmission system operator and an independent transport operator. Moreover, it has taken steps to obtain from the competent authorities a series of licenses to operate in the three countries concerned at a commercial level,” he said.

Schieppati went on to add that by the end of the year, 100 percent of the pipes in Greece and Albania are expected to be backfilled.

“TAP will help Europe in the transition to the low-carbon economy, diversifying energy sources, strengthening competitiveness and improving the interconnection of gas networks", he said.

The connection that TAP can enable with other key infrastructures, such as the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), will also bring a new source of gas to regional markets currently dependent on a single source, and also to those countries that today do not have still no access to gas, noted TAP managing director.

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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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn

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