Athens: The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is approaching completion of the necessary works to make an additional 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas available, TAP AG consortium told Trend.
According to Trend News Agency, the 2021 Market Test, which was completed in January 2023, resulted in binding commitments of 1.2 bcm/a, allowing a corresponding expansion of pipeline capacity by January 1, 2026. This involves adding a new compressor unit of approximately 15 MW to the existing compressor station in Kipoi, located in the Alexandroupolis area near the Greek border with Trkiye, and upgrading the facilities there. TAP is now nearing completion of the required works to make this incremental capacity available in line with the commitments received.
The pipeline transports natural gas from the Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. Spanning 877 km, TAP connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Trkiye-Greece border in Kipoi, traverses Northern Greece, Albania, and the Adriatic Sea, before reaching Southern Italy.
TAP facilitates gas supplies to South-Eastern European countries through interconnectors. It is connected to Interconnector Greece Bulgaria (IGB), which began commercial operations in October 2022, delivering Caspian gas to Bulgaria and thereby enhancing the security of energy supplies in another European country. TAP’s exit points in Greece and Albania, along with the landfall in Italy, offer multiple opportunities for further transport of natural gas from Azerbaijan to broader European markets.
TAP’s shareholding includes bp (20%), SOCAR (20%), Snam (20%), Fluxys (20%), and Enag¡s (20%).