TAP Manager for Greece: Construction will be completed by late 2018

Baku. 6 March. REPORT.AZ/ Development of Greek segment of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline project, which will transport Azerbaijani gas to Europe, is on schedule.

Report informs citing Energypress, TAP’s Country Manager for Greece Rikard Scoufias said.

He noted that 90 km of pipelines have been installed across the entire Evros region, as well as parts of the Rodopi and Serres”.

TAP official said that the pipeline’s construction will be completed by the end of 2018.

“The plan is to have completed the pipeline’s construction by the end of 2018 in order to have an entire year for test runs in 2019 before TAP begins fully operating in 2020”, he noted.

Notably, TAP, which is a part of Southern Gas Corridor project, will transport the gas produced within 'Shah Deniz 2' project, to Europe. This pipeline will join TANAP (Trans Anatolian) pipeline in Kipoi territory on Turkey-Greece border and cross Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before going onshore in southern Italy.

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 is 878 kilometers long, which 550 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) beneath the sea.

In the first stage, 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas will be delivered to Europe via the pipeline. TAP's groundbreaking ceremony was held in Thessaloniki, Greece on May 17, 2016. Azerbaijani gas will be delivered to Europe in 2020. BP (20%),SOCAR (20%), 'Snam S.p.A.' (20%), 'Fluxys' (19%), 'Enagas' (16%) and 'Axpo' (5%) companies acting as TAP shareholders.