BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec.1
By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:
The launch of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) will open up great opportunities for transporting Azerbaijani gas to Turkey and Europe, professor at the Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, leading Turkish expert Salih Yilmaz told Trend.
The Turkish expert said that at the same time, the opening of TANAP will strengthen Turkey’s energy security.
“The project is of interest for Turkey, firstly, because the country will annually receive 6 billion cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz Stage 2 and, secondly, it will ensure the security of supplies,” Yilmaz noted. “The implementation of this project is undoubtedly in the interests of Europe, but at the same time, in the future, new potential suppliers in the gas market can also benefit from connecting to the gas pipeline.”
The Turkish professor added that TANAP will serve to expanding economic and political cooperation between Azerbaijan, Turkey and the EU.
“I believe that Azerbaijan will make great contribution to ensuring European energy security through TANAP, and, in general, the Southern Gas Corridor,” Yilmaz said. “Therefore, completion of the TANAP’s construction is a historic event for Azerbaijan, Turkey and Europe.”
The opening ceremony of the Phase 1 of the TANAP was held on Nov. 30, 2019.
The opening ceremony took place in Ipsala, Edirne province of Turkey.
In this area, near the Greek border, TANAP is connected to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), through which natural gas from Azerbaijan will be delivered to European countries.
Opening ceremony of TANAP's Phase 0 took place on June 12, 2018, in the Turkish province of Eskisehir, and commercial gas deliveries to Turkey began in late June 2018.
The volume of gas transportation to Turkey via TANAP has reached 3.08 billion cubic meters (bcm) since the start of commercial gas supplies on June 30, 2018 as of late October 2019.
The initial capacity of TANAP, which is the main segment of the Southern Gas Corridor, is 16 billion cubic meters of gas.
Around six billion cubic meters of this gas will be supplied to Turkey while the remaining volume - to Europe. After the completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) construction, gas will be supplied to Europe in early 2020.
The share distribution of TANAP shareholders is as follows: Southern Gas Corridor CJSC - 51 percent, SOCAR Turkey Enerji - 7 percent, Botas - 30 percent, BP - 12 percent.