Trans Adriatic Pipeline Should Begin Being Constructed By 2015

The construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, recently selected by the Shah Deniz consortium to carry Azeri gas to Europe, should start in early 2015, TAP said. The company intends to make its Final Investment Decision one month before the Shah Deniz Consortium announces their FID. Following this, TAP will work towards preparing for construction, which is planned to begin early 2015 and last for approximately four years, a TAP press officer said in response to an emailed SeeNews inquiry.

TAP’s shareholders are Axpo of Switzerland, Norway’s Statoil and E.ON of Germany.

Shah Deniz Consortium members BP, SOCAR and Total each have options to purchase shares in TAP which if exercised in full would give them a total ownership of 50% of TAP.

The approximately 870-kilometre long TAP will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) near the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.

The Shah Deniz consortium is planning to make the final investment decision on Shah Deniz Stage 2 later in 2013. The target date for the first gas exports to Turkey is 2018 and to Europe in 2019.

Initially, the Southern Corridor will deliver up to 10 bcma of Shah Deniz natural gas to European markets.

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