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By Trend

Italian Council of State decision reaffirms without a doubt that the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has all necessary permits in place to carry out construction work in Italy, Lisa Givert, head of communications at TAP AG told Trend March 28.

However, she pointed out that there are still challenges ahead – the main one being the thorough and lengthy permitting process in Italy, which is putting TAP’s schedule at risk.

"Other big construction challenges that the project faces over the next two years include, cultural heritage finds in Greece during construction, and the geo-hazards of building the pipeline over very steep mountains in Albania," said Givert.

Italian Council of State gave green light to construction of TAP in the country, rejecting appeals from the Puglia regional government.

The Council of State ruled that the TAP project had provided sufficient details on the environmental impact of the project.

TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union.

TAP project envisages transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to the EU countries.

The pipeline will be connected to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy's south.

TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 km, Albania 215 km, Adriatic Sea 105 km, and Italy 8 km). Its highest point will be 1,800 meters in Albania’s mountains, while its lowest point will be 820 meters beneath the sea.

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