Azernews.Az

Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) started a pre-qualification process, inviting steel pipe producers to an expression of interest, in preparation for construction, TAP reported on Friday.

TAP and E.ON New Build & Technology (ENT), who are conducting the onshore engineering for the TAP project, will be implementing a two staged pre-qualification process.

TAP will require approximately 400,000 tonnes of steel pipe to lay approximately 800 km of 48 inch pipeline, over a three year construction period.

According to the Project Development Director of TAP, Sigurd Hamre, the main goal of the prequalification is to ensure that there are enough high quality steel pipes available on the market when TAP starts construction in 2015.

"TAP is therefore beginning the pre-qualification for steel pipes in advance of its final investment decision, in order to remain fully aligned with the Shah Deniz II gas field development in Azerbaijan," Hamre said.

TAP project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into Western Europe. Gas to be produced within the second phase of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development is considered as the main source for TAP.

TAP's initial pipeline capacity will be 10 billion cubic metres per year, but is easily expandable to 20 billion cubic metres per year. TAP's shareholders are AXPO of Switzerland (42.5 percent), Norway's Statoil (42.5 percent) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15 percent).

Shah Deniz consortium will make its final decision on the pipeline route in June, 2013.