TAP will provide 200,000 EUR to support projects in Italy

July 8, 2016 11:38

Baku. 8 July. REPORT.AZ/Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG will provide 200,000 Euro to support projects of associations and non-profit organisations.

Report informs citing the TAP’s website, this is the first TAP community investment programme in Melendugno aimed to improve the quality of life through cultural, social and environmental projects. The initiative is called ‘TAPstart’ and has been presented at a Lecce press briefing by Michele Elia, TAP Country Manager for Italy and Alessandro Leon, president of consulting firm Cles.

The projects need to be in line with TAP’s four objectives for socio-environmental investment: economic development, quality of life, skills development or environmental protection.

A special commission comprised of independent experts will evaluate the projects and prepare the list of winners, which will be announced later in 2016. The projects will be implemented during 2017.

TAP aims to launch further calls for submissions twice a year during the pipeline construction period, for a total of 1.4 million EUR.

As a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan to Europe. The approximately 878 km long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.

Having considered different options within two years, on June 28, 2013Shah Deniz Consortium officially announced selection of TAP. The total length of the pipeline is 878 km, 550 km of which will cover the territory of Greece, 215 km - of Albania, 105 km in the Adriatic Sea and 8 km in the South of Italy. The highest point of the pipeline will be in the mountains of Albania (1 800 m), the lower part (-820 m) at the bottom of the sea.

A the initial stage, the pipeline will transfer 10 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Snam (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%) and Axpo (5%).