Head of Commercial: Preparations are underway to start commercial operations of TAP in 2020

Preparations are underway to start commercial operations of TAP in 2020, said Marija Savova, Head of Commercial for TAP.

She said that TAP is planning to start commercial test in summer.

TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan to Europe. The 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.

The Shahdeniz consortium officially announced on June 28, 2013 that it chose TAP, extending to 878 km in total.

TAP will be 878 kilometres in length (Greece 550 km; Albania 215 km; Adriatic Sea 105 km; Italy 8 km). Its highest point will be approximately 2,100 metres in Albania’s mountains, while its lowest will be 820 metres below the sea.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the pipeline was held in Thessaloniki, Greece on May 17, 2016. The pipeline is expected to deliver Azerbaijani gas to Europe in 2020.