TAPI to be implemented in foreseeable future
By Aynur Jafarova
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project will be implemented in the foreseeable future, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said on December 10.
In his report on the country’s energy strategy published in all national media outlets, Berdymukhamedov noted preparatory works have already been completed and the main parameters of the pipeline’s construction have been coordinated.
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.