May 17 (SeeNews) - The construction works on the 878 km Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which will transport Azeri gas to Europe, were officially launched on Tuesday, the namesake company in charge with the project said.
The TAP pipeline will transport gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field through the last leg of the Southern Gas Corridor, connecting with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi and then crossing Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in southern Italy.
"After winning the bid in 2013 and working diligently to prepare for this moment, we are delighted to have started constructing the pipeline - a strategic project for Europe transporting new sources of Caspian gas via a new route commencing in 2020 and for years to come," Ian Bradshaw, managing director at TAP, said at the official ceremony held in Greece.
"Our commitment to this project along with the endorsement of all parties present here today will help ensure that we deliver gas to European markets on schedule, bringing significant economic benefits to both our host countries and the countries where Caspian gas will be sold," he added.
According to Bradshaw the pipeline will help integrate and diversify Europe’s energy supply, making a significant contribution to improving its energy security.
TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic metres of gas per year, which could double further on.
The project's shareholding is comprised of BP, SOCAR, Snam, Fluxys, Enagas and Axpo.