TAP AG, a company in charge of the construction and operation of Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP), announced that the construction of the Albanian section of the pipeline has officially started on 30 September.
Statement from the company said that so far progress of TAP in Albania includes 23 kilometers of right-of-way cleared, 12 kilometers of pipes strung and 8 kilometers of pipes welded. 94 % of access roads and bridges along the pipeline’s route have been already completed. Also, about 56 % of total pipes needed for the construction of the Albanian 252 kilometers long section has been delivered to the port of Durres so far.
The launch ceremony was attended by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Minister of Energy Damian Gjiknuri and TAP Managing Director Ian Bradshaw, who said that TAP, as one of the largest foreign investments in the country, will have a positive impact on the Albanian energy sector and will also help encourage other foreign investments.
TAP route through Albania consists of 215 kilometers of onshore section (stretching from Bilisht at the Greek-Albanian border to Fier) and 37 kilometers of offshore section in the Adriatic Sea.
TAP project envisages 870 km long pipeline that will connect to the TANAP near the Turkish-Greek border and cross Greece, Albania and Adriatic Sea before reaching its final destination in Italy. Current shareholders of TAP AG are British Petroleum (20 %), Azeri state-owned SOCAR (20 %), Italian Snam (20 %), Belgian Fluxys (19 %), Spanish Enagas (16 %) and Swiss Axpo with 5 % of the shares.
