TANAP to be completed by 55 percent until year-end
By Nigar Abbasova
The implementation of Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline project (TANAP), which is expected to serve as a new alternative for energy supplies to Europe, is underway.
Turkey’s minister of energy and natural resources Berat Albayrak told Sabah newspaper that the project is planned to accomplish by almost 55 percent until late 2016, mentioning that Turkey is moving confidently in the direction of creating an energy hub and successfully diversifying energy sources.
The minister said that access to gas sources is important for energy security, underlining that Turkey is geographically located close to the energy-rich regions, such as the Caspian Sea region, the Middle East and Central Asia. He also noted that the TANAP and Turkish Stream pipelines will allow Turkey to become gas trade center.
Turkey, with its advantageous strategic location is considered to be a key player not only for its region that is central to many critical energy issues, but also for the global energy sphere.
TANAP project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to the western borders of Turkey. The length of TANAP is 1,800 kilometers with the initial capacity of 16 billion cubic meters. The gas will be delivered to Turkey in 2018, and after completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline’s construction, the gas will be delivered to Europe in early 2020. TANAP is a part of Southern Gas Corridor, one of the priority energy projects for the EU, which is expected to enhance the EU’s energy security and diversification of its gas supply routes. Around six billion cubic meters of this gas will be delivered to Turkey and the remaining volume will be supplied to Europe. TANAP shareholders are Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR (58 percent), BOTAS (30 percent) and BP (12 percent).
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Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova
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