Around 98% of TAP pipes back-filled in Albania

By  Trend

Around 98 percent of pipes of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) are back-filled in Albania, Trend reports citing TAP AG consortium.

“In April 2016, the first TAP pipes arrived in Albania shipments of steel pipes, equipment and machinery were being offloaded in the port of Durrës. Three years later, around 98 percent of pipes are in the ground (back-filled),” said the consortium.

TAP project, worth 4.5 billion euros, is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union (EU). The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.

Connecting with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Greek-Turkish border, TAP will cross Northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before coming ashore in Southern Italy to connect to the Italian natural gas network.

The project is currently in its construction phase, which started in 2016.

Once built, TAP will offer a direct and cost-effective transportation route opening up the vital Southern Gas Corridor, a 3,500-kilometer long gas value chain stretching from the Caspian Sea to Europe.

TAP shareholders include BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).