UK expert: TANAP will further solidify Azerbaijan’s close links with Turkey

By Trend

The Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) will further solidify Azerbaijan’s close links with Turkey, Ziba Norman, director of the UK Transatlantic & Caucasus Studies Institute, told Trend on the occasion of opening of TANAP-Europe connection in Turkey’s Edirne.

“This is certainly a significant event given Europe’s high dependence on natural gas. The completion of an infrastructure which is entirely independent, will provide much needed diversification. It is a positive development for Azerbaijan, and will further solidify the close links with Turkey, which is also a beneficiary of this diversification,” she said.

The expert pointed out that the EU is keen to increase usage of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas, currently commanding a high price.

“As recent and sustained demonstrations in European cities show, cleaner energy is being demanded. Natural gas is a part of longer term strategy. It has been suggested that natural gas will provide a bridge for Europe‘s carbon neutral goals. In the UK alone, 80% of domestic heating relies on gas, with 25 percent of our total energy consumption provided by gas. Just under half of this is imported. Azerbaijan also increases its economic security in the region and enhances geopolitical stability with such projects, deepening its ties with Europe and supporting stability in the Balkans,” added Norman.

The opening ceremony of the Phase 1 of the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) was held on Nov. 30, 2019.

The opening ceremony took place in Ipsala, Edirne province of Turkey.

In this area, near the Greek border, TANAP is connected to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), through which natural gas from Azerbaijan will be delivered to European countries.

Opening ceremony of TANAP's Phase 0 took place on June 12, 2018, in the Turkish province of Eskisehir, and commercial gas deliveries to Turkey began in late June 2018.

The volume of gas transportation to Turkey via TANAP has reached 3.08 billion cubic meters (bcm) since the start of commercial gas supplies on June 30, 2018 as of late October 2019.

The initial capacity of TANAP, which is the main segment of the Southern Gas Corridor, is 16 billion cubic meters of gas.

Around six billion cubic meters of this gas will be supplied to Turkey while the remaining volume - to Europe. After the completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) construction, gas will be supplied to Europe in early 2020.

The share distribution of TANAP shareholders is as follows: Southern Gas Corridor CJSC - 51 percent, SOCAR Turkey Enerji - 7 percent, Botas - 30 percent, BP - 12 percent.