EBRD: TAP may open options for coal-to-gas switch in the Western Balkans

Baku. 5 December. REPORT.AZ/ The construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) may open options for a coal-to-gas switch in the Western Balkans, Report informs.

According to a report released by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Western Balkans have to join forces in order to switch to hydropower, renewable energy sources and gas from coal to reduce pollution.

Currently, coal-fired power plants account for a significant share of the region’s power generation but amount of carbon that is emitted into the atmosphere, adjusted for the size of the economy, is up to three times the EU average.

The bank notes that the region should also focus more on using natural gas to cut its carbon emissions.

“The construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which travels through the region and brings in around 10 bcm of gas from Azerbaijan via the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas (TANAP) pipeline, Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to Italy, as well as a number of cross-country gas interconnectors that are currently being explored, may open options for a coal-to-gas switch,” the report noted.

It added that a mixture of all renewable energy options could help the Western Balkans cut its carbon emissions, while delivering secure and sustainable energy at a lower cost.