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TANAP, world’s 2nd largest project in technical terms: SOCAR

7 March 2014 15:11 (UTC+04:00)
TANAP, world’s 2nd largest project in technical terms: SOCAR

By Aynur Jafarova

The Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) is the world's second largest project in terms of technical specifications, an official in Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR stated.

SOCAR's official representative in Belgium Vusal Mammadov made the statement on March 5 at the 4th Caspian Forum.

"TANAP will open new opportunities for investments and will create new jobs," Mammadov noted.

He also said the Azerbaijani gas will be delivered to Europe in 2019.

The TANAP project, developed by Azerbaijan's SOCAR in collaboration with the Turkish state pipeline company Botas and the energy company TPAO will deliver Shah Deniz gas to the Turkish-Greek border from eastern Turkey. The initial capacity of the pipeline will be 16 billion cubic meters of gas a year. TANAP will link up with Trans-Adriatic (TAP) pipeline on the Turkish-Greek border.

The 4th Caspian Forum, organized by the Caspian Strategy Institute (HASEN) in Brussels, was attended by deputies, ambassadors, academicians, high-ranking representatives of the private sector, and international press members from Caspian and European countries.

The main topic of the forum was "Southern Gas Corridor: Challenges and Opportunities".

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium Fuad Isgandarov, Vice President for BP Southern Corridor John Baldwin, First Secretary at the Azerbaijani Embassy to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Rashad Novruz, HASEN Secretary General Haldun Yavash and others made speeches at the forum.

Key discussion topics of the panels were the opportunities to be offered to Europe by Southern Gas Corridor which will add a new dimension to energy geopolitics shaping Eurasian energy map, how to meet Europe's need for secure and alternative resources, effects of the Corridor, the first direct energy line from Caspian to Europe, on economic development and the relations between the Caspian Region and the West, the TANAP and TAP projects.

In his speech HASEN Secretary General Haldun Yavash spoke about Turkey's quest to become an energy hub in the region, as well as TANAP and TAP as not only energy projects but also peace projects. He said Southern Gas Corridor will enhance cooperation between the Caspian Region and Europe, contribute to modernization, and create new jobs. He also noted while Europe is trying to decrease its dependence on natural gas by developing renewable energy projects, statistics indicate that demand will continue to increase in natural gas imports.

Yavash also said that Azerbaijan is the main source for TAP and TANAP, and Georgia is a reliable transit country. He added Southern Gas Corridor has the potential to become the main route for delivering not only Caspian gas but also Eastern Mediterranean, Turkmen and Northern Iraqi gas.

In his remarks Isgandarov said European energy market is quite comprehensive and expensive, and the projects within the scope of Southern Gas Corridor are not only economic but also political projects.

Baldwin touched upon the significance of Shah Deniz and Southern Gas Corridor as well as the importance of natural gas for Europe. He said Southern Gas Corridor will be the most feasible project for diversification in Europe in the long term.

In his speech Novruz said there is more than 3 trillion cubic meters of gas in Azerbaijani territories, and Azerbaijan will make greater moves within 10-15 years in this regard.

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