TIRANA (Albania), May 4 (SeeNews) – The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) consortium said it is inviting pre-qualification bids for the engineering, procurement, installation and management of pipeline telecommunications and security systems.
“These elements will create a global network connecting the different pipeline technologies in TAP’s host countries, including the fibre optic network, the data centres in Italy and Switzerland, the compressor stations in Greece and Albania,” TAP said in a procurement notice earlier this week.
The expressions of interest must be submitted no later than May 9.
“While the TAP project is more than 70% completed, we continue to ensure that the pipeline will be ready to safely transport Shah Deniz II gas to Europe. The telecommunications and security systems global network will play a key role in testing the pipeline and its assets along the 878km route and ensuring the infrastructure is ready for operations in 2020,” TAP’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) director Pierluca Ferrari said in the notice.
Following the pre-qualification stage, TAP will issue the related invitations to tender in the second quarter of 2018. The contract is expected to be awarded in the third quarter of 2018.
TAP will stretch from Greece's border with Turkey, via Albania and across the Adriatic Sea, to reach Italy's coast. It is part of the Southern Gas Corridor which also comprises the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), which crosses Azerbaijan and Georgia, and the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP).
TAP shareholders are BP, Azerbaijan’s state company Socar and Italy’s Snam with 20% each, Belgium’s Fluxys with 19%, Spain’s Enagas with 16% and Swiss-based Axpo with 5%.