Azernews.Az

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has submitted its application for the construction of an Independent Natural Gas System (INGS) to RAE, the Greek Regulatory Authority for energy, TAP reported.

TAP’s Greek section of the pipeline will be approximately 465 km long and will commence at Komotini, where it ties into the national grid system. The pipeline will then cross Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, coming ashore in southern Italy.

As TAP’s Country Manager in Greece Rikard Scoufias said TAP’s INGS submission follows shortly after on TPA (Third Party Access) exemption application last month and constitutes a key element of the final steps towards concluding the permitting process for construction of the TAP pipeline.

"The construction itself, which is backed by some of the largest European energy companies (Statoil, EGL and E.ON), is ex-pected to bring in excess of €1.5bn investment into Greece and to generate approximately 2,000 jobs. I am very pleased to see how well we are progressing with the Greek authorities regarding our various permits. Our commitment to Greece stands as firm as ever, and we are looking forward to a long and fruitful partner-ship," he said.

TAP will be ready to commence pipeline operations in time for first export gas west of Turkey (expected in 2017/18) from Shah Deniz.

TAP pipeline project, which is one of South Gas Corridor projects, envisages gas exports from the Caspian Sean and Middle East regions to the European market. Its initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters per year and maximum - 20 billion. The shareholders of the project are the Swiss EGL Company (42.5 percent), Norwegian Statoil (42.5 percent) and German E.ON Ruhrgas (15 percent). Initial pipeline capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters per year, maximum - 20 billion.

The gas produced within the second phase of the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz Field is considered to be a main gas source for the Southern Gas Corridor project, in particular the TAP project. Its reserves are estimated at 1.2 billion cubic meters.

The consortium expects concrete proposals from various pipeline projects, including TAP, by Oct. 1, based on which a transportation route will be chosen by late this year.

The South Corridor is a priority EU energy project diversifying energy supply routes and sources and increasing EU energy security. The Southern Corridor includes the Nabucco gas pipeline, Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), White Stream, and ITGI (Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline).