BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 9. The Albanian Gas Service Company (AGSco) has awarded a 42 million leks ($443,000/405,000 euro) contract to Albanian technical evaluation provider Tech Inspect for the technical evaluation of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) on Albanian territory, Trend reports.
Tech Inspect secured the contract with a bid lower than the estimated 60.7 million leks budget, as disclosed by AGSco in a recent tender winner announcement.
This evaluation forms a crucial component of TAP's maintenance plan for its gas transmission infrastructure in Albania, as outlined in a tender notice released earlier by the Albanian Gas Service Company. The assessment is slated for completion by September 2025.
AGSco holds responsibility for the maintenance of TAP within Albanian borders. The Albanian government maintains a 75 perccent stake in AGSco, with the remaining shares owned by the Italian state energy infrastructure company Snam, as per records in the Albanian business register.
TAP transports natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border in Kipoi, crosses Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.
TAP facilitates gas supplies to South Eastern European countries through existing and prospective interconnectors. TAP is connected to Interconnector Greece Bulgaria (IGB) which started its commercial operations in October 2022, providing Caspian gas to Bulgaria, enhancing security of energy supplies in one more European country. TAP’s exits in Greece and Albania, together with the landfall in Italy provide multiple opportunities for further transport of gas from Azerbaijan to the wider European markets.
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