Thessaloniki hosts groundbreaking ceremony for TAP

Baku. 17 May. REPORT.AZ/ A groundbreaking ceremony for Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) being held in Thessaloniki.

Report informs, the event is attending by First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyyubov,  Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natig Aliyev, President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) Rovnag Abdullayev, the Greece Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the US State Department Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein, European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic, TAP Managing Director Ian Bradshaw, as well senior officials from Albania, Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria, including representatives of the consortium. 

The event is expected to last two hours, after short speeches by the delegations, foundation pipe that will be placed in the base of the TAP will be signed.

Notably, TAP, which is a part of Southern Gas Corridor project, will transport the gas produced within 'Shah Deniz II' project, to Europe. This pipeline will join TANAP (Trans Anatolian) pipeline in Kipoi territory on Greece-Turkey border and cross Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before going onshore in southern Italy. First Azerbaijani gas from 'Shah Deniz' field is planned to be delivered to Europe in 2020.

After reviewing various selection options during two years, on June 28, 2013, 'Shah Deniz' Consortium has officially declared selection of the project on TAP project. The pipeline will be 878 kilometers long, which 545 km will cover Greece, 215 Albania, 105 Adriatic Sea and 8 km Southern Italy. Highest point of the pipeline will be in the mountains of Albania (1 800 meters), the lower part (-820 meters) to the bottom of the sea.

In the first stage, 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas will be delivered to Europe via the pipeline. 

BP (20%),SOCAR (20%), 'Snam S.p.A.' (20%), 'Fluxys' (19%), 'Enagas' (16%) and 'Axpo' (5%) companies acting as TAP shareholders.