TAP starts construction of access roads, bridges in Albania
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG has today announced the start of
construction and rehabilitation work on access roads and bridges
along the pipeline’s route in Albania.
The occasion was marked by an inauguration ceremony near the town
of Çorovoda, attended by the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama,
Minister of Energy and Industry Damian Gjiknuri, and TAP Managing
Director Ian Bradshaw.
Speaking to an audience that included foreign diplomats, members of
the Albanian parliament, representatives of local authorities and
other key stakeholders, Prime Minister Rama and Minister Gjiknuri
emphasised the importance of the project to Albania.
As one of the largest foreign investments in the country, TAP
will have a positive impact on the country’s energy sector and will
help encourage other foreign investments, they said.
TAP Managing Director Ian Bradshaw said TAP aims to build a modern
pipeline that will safely deliver Caspian gas to Europe in early
2020. “The construction of access roads and bridges in Albania is
critical to our project’s progress. We are committed to zero harm
to affected communities and minimum impact to the environment with
safety remaining one of our highest priorities. This is an
important step in realising that commitment.”
He added: “The rehabilitated roads and bridges will contribute not
only to the modernisation of the transport infrastructure but also
to transport safety. They will boost access to markets and
services, thus contributing to the long-term economic growth of
many Albanian regions.”
TAP will construct and rehabilitate approximately 100 kilometres of
road along the pipeline’s route, including Vishocicë, Vithkuq and
Shtyllë in the Korça region; Potom, Çorovodë, Kakrukë, Therepelë,
Vendreshë in the Berati region; and Topoje in the Fier region.
Also, it will build three new bridges and rehabilitate more than 40 existing bridges in the regions of Korçë, Berat and Fier.
The work is expected to be completed during 2016, while the main
construction of the pipeline will start in summer 2016.
TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field
in Azerbaijan to Europe. The approximately 870 km long pipeline
will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the
Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the
Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.
TAP’s routing can facilitate gas supply to several South Eastern
European countries, including Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and others. TAP’s landfall in
Italy provides multiple opportunities for further transport of
Caspian natural gas to some of the largest European markets such as
Germany, France, the UK, Switzerland and Austria.
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Statoil (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%) and Axpo (5%).
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