TAPI parties to elect int'l consortium leader next year
By Aynur Jafarova
The countries involved in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project will elect a leader for the international consortium following the announcement of an international tender in early 2015, the Turkmen government said on November 21.
The 19th meeting of the steering committee of the TAPI project consisting of the heads of relevant ministries of the involved countries, as well as representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the transactional advisor TAPI, was held in Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat.
During the meeting, the participants called for additional consultations on the assessment and selection of potential partners and the leader of the consortium prior to February 2015. Upon completion of these procedures, the steering committee will announce an international tender to elect the leader of the TAPI Ltd consortium.
The participants of the meeting confirmed their readiness to start the construction works, announced the interest of the parties in the rapid implementation the TAPI gas pipeline project and called for supplying Turkmen natural gas to the South Asian markets.
The TAPI project with the proposed capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year will extend from Galkynysh field in Turkmenistan through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar to its final point at a settlement on the Pakistani-Indian border.
Experts believe that TAPI is not only a regional project envisaging the transportation of Turkmen gas, but also a global one. The implementation of the project will strengthen Turkmenistan's independence, and its gas supplies to world markets will increase significantly.
The project is an opportunity to contribute to the stability of Afghanistan, and its implementation could contribute to the rehabilitation process in the post-war country. It will also create more job opportunities and provide Afghanistan with a guaranteed income from the transit.
ADB was appointed as the transaction advisor for the TAPI gas pipeline project in November 2013. In that role, ADB advised on the establishment of the TAPI pipeline company as an integral part of the larger goal of identifying and selecting a commercial consortium leader to spearhead the construction and operation of the pipeline. When selected, the commercial consortium leader will take a substantial stake in the company.