Macedonia-Greece pipeline to enable gas supply via TAP
By Laman Ismayilova
The interconnecting gas corridor between Macedonia and Greece
will use the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) for supply of natural
gas from Azerbaijan, CEO of Macedonian Energy Resources Skopje
company Krste Miladinov told Trend.
TAP envisages transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development
of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to Europe.
The 870-kilometer pipeline will be connected to the Trans Anatolian
Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece,
Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy's
south.
Macedonian Energy Resources (MER) and DESFA, the natural gas
transmission system operator in Greece, signed a memorandum of
understanding in mid-October for the construction of a
160-kilometer-long gas interconnecting pipeline.
"Тhe signing of the MoU is primarily in line with the realization
of the project for construction of interconnection for transmission
of natural gas that should connect the national gas pipeline
systems of Macedonia and Greece," said Miladinov.
The construction of this gas interconnection will enable supply of
additional quantities of natural gas, as well as possibility of
using natural gas from many sources and global projects, for
example natural gas from Russia and Azerbaijan, then the
possibility for direct connection to the existing LNG Terminal
Revithoussa in Greece and other sources that will be available
through Greece, he added.
Miladinov pointed out that this project is very significant for the
EU’s energy security, as it will enable transmission of additional
quantities of natural gas which will be intended for the EU
countries.
As for the project’s implementation process, he said that MER JSC
Skopje and DESFA S.A. are in stage of preparation of the study for
realization of the project.
"After the completion of the study, the realization of construction
shall start. The realization is planned to begin in 2017 and finish
in 2020 at the latest," he said.
By connecting MER JSC Skopje and DESFA S.A., Macedonia will be able
to use all natural gas sources that are available for Greece, thus
providing greater security of the country in supply of this energy
fuel and of course transit of additional quantities in the EU
countries, added Miladinov.
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