BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 3. Upgrading the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) would require accelerated additional infrastructure investments in the Italian transmission grid, Trend reports referring to the Council of the European Union.
“In South – East Europe, key gas priority infrastructure projects became operational in the course of 2020-2021, including notably the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, the 1st phase of the BRUA pipeline corridor and the Krk LNG terminal. The remaining priority infrastructure investments in the region which are set to be finalised in 2022 are the rehabilitation, modernization and expansion of the Bulgarian transmission system, the new interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria (IGB) which in its first operational phase will offer bidirectional capacity of 3 bcm/y,” reads a report released by the Council of the European Union.
Reportedly, the interconnector Serbia - Bulgaria (IBS) which aims at creating bidirectional interconnection of 1,8 bcm/y, as well as the construction of the FSRU in Alexandroupolis, which will provide import capacity at the level of 5.5 bcm/y, are currently expected to be completed in the second half of 2023. Furthermore, the expansion of the underground gas storage facility in Chiren, Bulgaria, is planned for 2025.
The assessment has shown that, in the medium term, South East Europe would benefit to some extent from the FSRU terminal in Poland (PCI project on the 5th PCI list) while the main benefits will occur in the Baltic Sea region. Transportation of natural gas from Gdansk to the SEE region and Ukraine would require the accelerated construction of the North-South Gas Corridor in Eastern Poland.
The assessment of ENTSOG has also shown that, in the medium term, an expansion of the capacity of the LNG terminal in Krk will further help mitigating Russian supply dependence, but to reap these benefits, it would be necessary to enhance the Croatian transmission grid towards Slovenia and Hungary.
“Further supplies to the region could come through full scale TAP expansion, but upgrading TAP would require accelerated additional infrastructure investments in the Italian transmission grid (Adriatica Line and Mattagiola – Massafra pipeline which are PCI projects on the 5th PCI list). If the Italian transmission network is reinforced, it would enable increased flows from the South to the North of Italy which would be relevant for additional flows from TAP, EastMed, and Northern Africa. Furthermore, expansion of Interconnector Greece - Bulgaria (IGB phase II), could further mitigate dependence further notably in Bulgaria and in the entire SEE region by allowing to increase flows from TAP and LNG terminals in Greece,” the report says.
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