The TAP project makes Albania a hub to Southern Gas Corridor, and also provides access to natural gas which can be used to supply the newly built Vlora thermal power plant and a cheaper alternative to electricity
TIRANA, July 18 – As the race to select the winning project for a pipeline to bring gas from the Caspian region to Europe is coming to an end, Albanian authorities hope the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the only project including Albania in its route, will be announced as the winner.
Dorian Ducka, the project director at the Ministry of Trade and Energy told Deutsche Welle the selection and implementation of the TAP project has a lot of benefits for Albania. According to him, the TAP project makes Albania a hub to Southern Gas Corridor, and also provides access to natural gas which can be used to supply the newly built Vlora thermal power plant and a cheaper alternative to electricity.
Nabucco and the Interconnector Turkey-Greece-Italy (ITGI) are two other projects competing to bring gas from the Caspian region to Europe– but do not include Albania in their projected route.
TAP has been designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and onward to western Europe.
Azerbaijan is expected to choose the winning project before the end of 2011.
The passing of the oil pipeline through Albania would also pave the way for the construction of the Ionian-Adriatic pipeline making Albania a gas hub to other Balkan regional countries.
Entering from Greece at Miras in the Kor衠region, the Albanian section of the route stretches a total of 209km to the coast, north-west of Fier. The offshore section will be 60km in length, crossing the Adriatic Sea entering southern Italy.
TAP will be one of the largest foreign direct investments in Albania and it will help to develop the country’s energy infrastructure and thereby foster economic growth by creating employment and developing local skills. The pipeline can facilitate Albania in meeting its domestic energy needs by bringing Caspian gas to the Albanian market and providing a stimulus for future gas infrastructure in the country.
Hans-Juergen Biewendt, TAP’s Technical Director in-charge of onshore pipeline development, said earlier “TAP has now completed its route refinement process in all three transit countries, including Greece. The route refinement will form part of the ESIA report, which will soon be submitted to authorities, lenders and the public for review. Our comprehensive studies and engagement with stakeholders in all three countries suggest that the selected route has the least impacts and is acceptable to authorities, communities and society in general. We are very proud to have earned the trust and support of all stakeholders through this process.”
Germany’s E.ON Ruhrgas, Norway’s Statoil and Swiss-based EGL group have established a joint venture company to develop and operate the Trans Adriatic Pipeline.
