New studies being prepared on feasibility of transporting hydrogen via Southern Gas Corridor

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG company plans to conduct new studies on the feasibility of transporting hydrogen through the TAP by the end of 2024, said Ioannis Maris, the representative of TAP in Greece, Report informs.

“Our goal is to initially develop an asset to transport hydrogen and possibly biomethane as a mixture with natural gas. A study conducted in 2021 confirmed TAP's ability to transport the hydrogen mixture in the future. Investing in the necessary testing facilities, this year we will test our pipe materials in an internationally recognized laboratory,” he stated.

According to Maris, the new tests will make it possible to fully evaluate the suitability of the material of the TAP pipes for transporting hydrogen:

“At the end of this year, we also plan to begin evaluating the suitability of other existing equipment for transporting large quantities of hydrogen through TAP. We work closely with our shareholders, key suppliers, and industry representatives. Because investments in capacity upgrades and the percentage of hydrogen transported will increase over time to meet both the needs of the hydrogen market and market regulations.”

He stressed that the full expansion of TAP (up to 20 bcm per year) will not only solve supply security problems but also help the EU move towards its decarbonization goal by transporting new volumes of green hydrogen and other renewable gases.

On December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began exporting gas to Europe. According to the agreement reached between Azerbaijan and the EU, the supply of Azerbaijani gas should reach at least 20 billion cubic meters per year until 2027.