Trans-Adriatic Pipeline

Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is a proposed natural gas pipeline project to transport natural gas from Greece via Albania to Italy.

History

Trans Adriatic Pipeline project was announced in 2003 by Swiss energy company EGL Group. The feasibility study was concluded in March 2006. Two option were investigated: a northern route through Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia and Albania, and a southern route through Greece and Albania, which considered to be more feasible. In March 2007, the extended basic engineering was completed. On 13 February 2008 EGL Group and StatoilHydro signed an agreement to set up a joint project company to develop, build and operate the pipeline.cite news
url=http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article148654.ece
title=StatoilHydro takes place at TAP table
publisher=Upstream Online
date=2008-02-13
accessdate=2008-02-16] In June 2008, the project company filed an application with the Greek authorities to build a convert|200|km|mi pipeline from Thessaloniki to the Greek-Albanian border.cite news
url=http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article157399.ece
title=TAP lays groundwork in Greece
publisher=Upstream Online
date=2008-06-19
accessdate=2008-08-18]

Technical description

The overall length of the pipeline is convert|520|km|mi|0, of which the offshore section between Vlorë in Albania and Lecce in Italy is convert|90|km|mi|0. The initial capacity of the pipeline will be about 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per annum, with the option to expand the capacity to 20 bcm. The pipeline would be supplied by natural gas from Caspian region, Russia and the Middle East through the existing and planned gas transport networks in South-East Europe.cite news
url=http://www.egl.ch/etc/medialib/eglmain/pdf/all/media_release/en.Par.0033.File.tmp/Trans%20Adriatic%20Pipeline%20Project_E.pdf
title=Natural gas pipeline through Adriatic achieves major milestone
format=PDF
publisher=EGL press release
date=2007-03-17
accessdate=2007-06-28] StatoilHydro sees the pipeline as a possibility to transport natural gas from the Shah Deniz gas field, in which StatoilHydro has a 25% stake, to the European market. On 4 June 2007, EGL Group conducted a 25-year deal with the National Iran Gas Export Company (NIGEC) to deliver 5.5 bcm of natural gas per annum to Europe.cite news
url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL0475410020070604
title= Swiss firm EGL in 25-yr gas deal with Iran
publisher=Reuters
date=2007-06-04
accessdate=2008-03-07]

Construction is due to commence in 2008, and the pipeline is scheduled to become operational in 2011. The construction costs are expected to be about €1.5 billion.

The project would compete with the Greece-Italy pipeline project, developed by DEPA and Edison S.p.A., and with South Stream project announced by Eni and Gazprom.

ee also

* Greece-Italy pipeline
* South Stream
* Nabucco Pipeline

References

External links

* [http://www.trans-adriatic-pipeline.com/ Project website]