“Albania should not lose its chance and the country should not suffice with the fact that a gas pipeline passes through which is very important strategically,” says Energy Minister Damian Gjiknuri
TIRANA, Feb. 5 – Albania will soon have its gas master plan so that the country really benefits from the construction of the TAP pipeline and not only become a regional hub for its distribution. The statement was made by Energy Minister Damian Gjiknuri who heads an inter-ministerial committee on the coordination of TAP’s implementation in Albania.
“I believe that in one year Albania will have its gas master plan. We are working with serious international partners such as Azerbaijan and other international institutions so that this process is completed in time,” said Gjiknuri.
“Albania should not lose its chance and the country should not suffice with the fact that a gas pipeline passes through which is very important strategically. We are working to get huge economic benefits from gas. I can say that there are interested partners and that we will have a full master plan next year,” added Gjiknuri.
The energy minister said he had also asked the pipeline’s shareholders to engage local Albanian companies in several construction works in TAP’s Albania section.
TAP is scheduled to start construction in 2015 and carry the first gas by 2019.
Prime Minister Edi Rama who travelled to Azerbaijan in mid-December 2013 to sign the investment deal, described TAP as a major milestone for Albania.
“TAP is a giant project but it will be more giant when we pave the way for more innovative projects such as the union of Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro in a joint effort to promote the Ionian-Adriatic pipeline which will supply gas in new markets,” said Prime Minister Edi Rama at the signing ceremony of the final investment decision on Shah Deniz-2 project on Dec.17 in Baku.
TAP’s Albania section
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline is on schedule to start building access roads to construction sites in Albania in 2014 in order to be in a position to launch the actual pipeline construction in 2015, says TAP’s managing director Kjetil Tungland. In an interview for AzerNews, Tungland says TAP, recently announced as the winning project to bring Caspian gas to Europe will diversify gas supplies in Europe and give a boost to the crisis-hit economies of EU-members Italy and Greece as well as EU aspirant Albania.
A study conducted by the prestigious Oxford University has demonstrated the substantial potential economic benefits for Albania by the landmark pipeline. Findings by Oxford Economics study show that during its four years of construction (2015-18), inclusive of direct, indirect and induced effects, TAP will contribute a total of Euro 370 million to Albanian GDP, create, on average, 9,900 jobs per year and generate Euro 90 million for the Albanian treasury.
In addition, during its expected 50 years of operation, inclusive of direct, indirect and induced impacts, the project is predicted to contribute a total of Euro 780 million to Albanian GDP, create 460 jobs per year, and generate Euro 470 million in tax revenues.
Albanian experts have described TAP as an opportunity that would benefit Albania both economically and politically, making the country an important hub of the international gas pipeline for the Western Balkans.
With domestic electricity generation 100 percent dependent on hydropower plants and rainfall, TAP would be another opportunity to diversify generation especially in the newly-built Vlora thermal power plant which although made available for use since more than one year has not been made operational because of its high cost on fuel operation. TAP would also help the country’s gasification by offering gas, already massively used as a cheaper alternative to electricity for cooking and heating, although the country’s buildings lack gas infrastructure. 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, experts say.
